Mississippi Mud Cookies

You know, Ireland's got plenty of mud too... and, incidentally, oats. But somehow these close cousins of the English "flapjack" still have a nostalgic taste of our original home. DH gets a hankering for these every once in a while-- usually late at night when we have nothing sweet in the house and neither of us wants to undertake a lengthy baking project. They were more a part of his childhood than mine, but I am not one to argue when any recipe begins with chocolate. After some hunting around online I found a recipe that does not rely on peanut butter, because my dear daughter is allergic. That said, once the cookies were cooled and ready to eat I mashed a walnut half into the top of mine and it was delightful.

I reduced the white sugar from 2 cups in the original recipe to 1 1/2 cups but it still tasted like slightly too much. Next time I will cut it to 1 cup and perhaps use dark brown sugar instead of white. Also one COULD replace the butter with coconut oil. That is something to try next time around as well, though there is absolutely nothing wrong with the butter version!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup milk

3 cups rolled oats

6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup flaked coconut

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Bring sugar, milk and butter to boil. Boil for 2 minutes and remove from heat.
2. Stir in cocoa and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients to coat well.
3. Drop onto waxed paper by the tablespoonfuls. Cool and enjoy!

Creamy Coconut and Yellow Split Pea Soup

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 carrots, chopped

2 leeks, chopped

2 Bay leaves

1 cup yellow split peas, rinsed and picked over

8 cups (1.9 L) vegetable stock

1 medium zucchini, chopped

1 small head cauliflower, chopped

2 cups coconut milk

cayenne pepper, to taste

salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Heat the oil in a large pot on medium heat. Add the carrots, leek and Bay leaves. Stir and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the peas to the pot. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add the vegetable stock. Stir well. Bring the soup to a boil and reduce it to a simmer. Simmer the soup, partially covered, for 45 minutes or until the peas are tender.

When the peas are tender, using a whisk, whisk the soup to try to break up the cooked peas. Add the zucchini and cauliflower to the soup. Using a spoon, stir well, bring the soup to a boil, reduce it to a simmer, cover and simmer the soup for 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender.

Add coconut milk, cayenne pepper, salt and fresh ground black pepper to the soup. Serve.

Apple Crumble

It's apple season, and for the first time ever I live somewhere where it seems every friend and neighbor is burdened with an overabundance of apples from the trees that grow on their land. We have been generously gifted with baskets and baskets of apples. When I ask what variety they are, even from our familiar farmer at the farmer's market, I get a puzzled look and the response, "I don't know, regular old Irish cooking apples." But one Irish cooking apple will taste more tart than the next, and they aren't all bad for eating either. Most are green and speckled with the kind of imperfections unknown to the American supermarket. But I have come to love these homely, nameless apples. And while I've made a few American apple pies out of them already and have gotten that craving under control for now, it seemed a good time to combine these local flavors with the other staple of Irish cookery, the oat.

Ingredients:

1 c. brown sugar (I used maple sugar, a Trader Joe's import)
1 c. rolled oats
1 c. flour (I used spelt flour for a heartier taste)
1/2 c. butter, melted
3 c. apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1/2 c. white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8-inch square pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, oats, flour and butter. Mix until crumbly. Place half of crumb mixture in pan. Spread the apples evenly over crumb mixture. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and top with remaining crumb mixture.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

Irish Brown Bread

After two years of living here I am starting to develop an appreciation for soda bread. Vivienne has loved it from the start, gobbling up the obligatory slices that accompany any order of soup in any restaurant in the land. Often it is the type of bread served as toast as well, and it is always an option when ordering a sandwich. What can I say, I am a yeast-lover through and through. Give me a crusty, gooey baguette any day of the week, but in the interest of health, and seeing the gift of the family-secret recipe bestowed upon me by my doctor, I decided to try making my own. The four year old loved helping with this because it is a mushy dough to mix with the hands. And it makes the house smell good. And it is nice, hot out of the oven, smothered in Irish butter. With some local smoked salmon and my homemade potato-leek soup, you might forget we are mere "blow-ins."

2 kg wholegrain wheat flour
2 oz. wheat bran (also optional to add, wheat germ, oat flakes, nuts)
2 Tablespoons baking soda

2 oz. sunflower oil
2 eggs
1 carton (1 liter) buttermilk

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celcius. Mix first 3 ingredients together in a large bowl. Make a little well in the center of the dry ingredients and incorporate the next 3 (wet) ingredients. This can be mixed with hands. Dough should be rather wet and sticky. Yogurt may be added if more moisture is needed. Once all the dry ingredients are incorporated, transfer dough into 2 floured loafpans. Bake for approximately 1 hour.

Makes 2 loaves.

Savory Crepes

Last night the only fresh vegetables in the house were tomatoes and arugula (rocket). I never think to make savory crepes, but the wee one was over the moon for them (may have been the taco-like delivery system). Sauteed up the arugula and tomatoes with some thyme picked from the garden, and once the crepes were freshly made, put some grated cheddar cheese into each to melt up with the veg mixture. Simple and good. This recipe makes 8 large crepes.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk, divided use
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus whole butter for cooking crepes

Directions

Whisk together the flour, eggs, 1/2 cup milk, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Continue whisking until you have a smooth batter. Add the remaining cup of milk and stir well to combine. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator to chill the batter for at least 30 minutes or several hours.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Just before you are ready to make the crepes, whisk in the melted butter. The batter should be the consistency of heavy cream; if it is too thick, add milk slowly while whisking constantly until it is the right texture.

Heat a 9-inch non-stick skillet or crepe pan over medium heat. Melt a teaspoon of butter in the pan or spray with vegetable spray and heat the pan until a drop of water "dances" across the surface.

Using a ladle or a measuring cup with a lip, pour about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the batter into the pan. Hold the pan with 1 hand and pour the batter in with the other. Swirl the pan while pouring so that the batter covers the pan thinly and evenly for each crepe. Pour off any excess batter. Try not to leave any holes. After the first few crepes you will know exactly how much batter your pan will hold.

Cook the crepe over medium-high heat until the edges turn brown, about 15 seconds. Flip the crepe using a small spatula and your fingers. Cook on the second side for another 10 to 15 seconds. The second side will not be as evenly browned as the first side. Remove the pan from the heat and invert it over a warm plate to stack the crepes. Keep warm until ready to use. Continue making crepes with remaining batter, adjusting the heat as needed.

If not using immediately, place a square of waxed paper between each 1, place in a resealable plastic bag and store in the refrigerator. Crepes can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for several months. Reheat uncovered in a low oven (250 degrees) for 15 minutes or until warm. Fill with your favorite filling.

Minestrone Soup

Needs a bit of tweaking. Didn't have the tomato paste so broth was a bit watery. But threw in a rind of parmesan to cook some extra cheesey richness into it and that I will do again.

Ingredients: 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 cup thinly sliced Savoy cabbage
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped basil
• 2 large stalks of celery, sliced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 can chopped tomatoes, with their liquid
• 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained
• 1 cup dried fusilli pasta
• 1 can cannellini or white beans, drained
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Method: 

In a large stockpot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and onions and cook until translucent. Add broth, cabbage, tomato paste, parsley, basil, celery, carrots, bay leaf, and tomatoes with their juice and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Add chickpeas, pasta, and beans and simmer for another 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 

Ladle soup into bowls and serve with Parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top.

Beet Slaw

2 lbs. beets, raw and grated
1/4 cup lemon juice, (about 1/2 a lemon, squeezed)
1 orange
1 tsp. ginger, fresh
1/2 pint blueberries

1. Shred peeled beets into a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, mix lemon juice with the zest (peel) of the orange.
3. Grate ginger into the mixture and stir.
4. Toss with the beets. 
5. Top with blueberries. 
6. Let sit for an hour or overnight to enhance the flavors.

Carrot Coriander Soup

This was deeemed new favorite soup by both members of the household, a particular victory for the girl who presently wishes to subsist on smoothies and crackers. Apologies for the metric. My source is on this side of the pond and, though I haven't yet taken to weighing everything with a scale, I've learned to eyeball a kilo of carrots here and there.

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion , chopped
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 potato , chopped
• 450g carrots , peeled and chopped (about 3-4 large carrots)
• 1 litre vegetable or chicken stock
• handful coriander (about ½ a supermarket packet) 

1. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion, then fry for 5 mins until softened. Stir in the ground coriander and potato, then cook for 1 min. Add the carrots and stock, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat. Cover and cook for 20 mins until the carrots are tender.
2. Tip into food processor with the coriander. then blitz until smooth (you may need to do this in two batches). Return to pan, taste, add salt if necessary, then reheat to serve.  Serves 4.

Chickpea Bulgur Salad

1 cup medium-ground bulgur
2 garlic cloves, crushed
juice of 2 1/2- 3 lemons
salt and pepper
7 T extra virgin olive oil
one 14-ounce can of chickpeas, drained
3 cups loosely packed chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 cup loosely packed finely chopped mint leaves

In a medium saucepan, bring bulgur and 1 1/2 cups of water to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.

Add all other ingredients to bulgur and stir together.

Serves 6.

Tomato and Feta Salad

100 g feta cheese
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 cup chopped parsley
3 T olive oil
1 T white wine vinegar
salt & pepper

Add the cut-up tomatoes, onion, vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and parsley and toss well. Dice the feta in 1/2 to 3/4-inch cubes, crumbling it as little as possible. Gently fold it into the salad and serve at room temperature.

Makes 4 servings

(Also good with chopped fresh basil)

Punkin Muffins

 My last trip to the States in April I came within one kilo of overweight charges on my baggage returning to Ireland due, in part, to the stockpile of canned pumpkin I was carrying. Even still, the supply is limited, so I wouldn't go making pumpkin pie/pancakes/muffins every day. Pressed to come up with a special occasion to crack open one of the coveted cans, I will say it is Sid Vicious' birthday. Happy Birthday, Sid.

 1 cup (240 ml) canned pumpkin puree
 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup (120 ml) plain yogurt
1/2 cup (120 ml) sunflower oil
1 1/2 cups spelt flour
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Place rack in the middle of the oven. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. In a medium sized bowl mix together the pumpkin puree, eggs, yogurt, and oil. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, bran, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add the milk and egg mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until just combined. Fold in the raisins. Do not over mix the batter or the muffins will be tough when baked. Fill the muffin cups with the batter using two spoons or an ice cream scoop. Place in the oven and bake for about 18 - 20 minutes , or until firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool. Makes 12 regular-sized muffins.

Juicer Sweetbread

Now that we are juicing we have a steady supply of fruit and vegetable pulp that V, who I think has internalized my distain for wasting food, does not like to see thrown out. Perhaps this will turn us into composters at long last, but in the meantime I decided to make a "sweet bread" out of the leftover bits.

2 cups (270 grams) fruit/veg pulp from juicer (for example, I had a mixture of carrot, apple, beet and ginger)
2 cups (260 grams) spelt flour
3/4 cup honey
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (3.5 grams) salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup coconut (sweetened or unsweetened) (optional)
3 large eggs
3/4 cup (180 ml) sunflower oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Place paper liners in 12 muffin cups.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon. Stir in the coconut if using. Set aside.

In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, oil, honey and vanilla extract. Fold the wet ingredients, along with the fruit and veg pulp, into the flour mixture, stirring just until moistened. Evenly divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (If making into one loaf in a loaf pan, cooking time is 45-55 minutes.)

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. After about 10 minutes remove the muffins from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Makes 12 standard-sized muffins.

Banana Bread

1 cup (115 grams) walnuts or pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped (optional)

1 3/4 cups (230 grams) all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 ripe large bananas (approximately 1 pound or 454 grams), mashed well (about 1-1/2 cups)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract



Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place oven rack to middle position. Butter and flour (or spray with a non stick vegetable/flour spray) the bottom and sides of a 9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pan. Set aside.

Place the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Let cool and then chop coarsely.

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nuts. Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients just until combined and the batter is thick and chunky. (The important thing is not to over mix the batter. You do not want it smooth. Over mixing the batter will yield tough, rubbery bread.) Scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake until bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. This bread can be frozen.

Makes 1 - 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf.

Mushroom Barley Soup

Ingredients

1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 ribs celery with leaves, diced
1/2 cup parsley
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound fresh porcini or other mushrooms
1 tablespoon flour
6 cups water
1 cup whole barley
2 teaspoons salt


Preparation

1. Soak the mushrooms in enough hot water to cover for a half hour. Strain through a filter. Reserve the water.
2. Coarsely chop the dried mushrooms.
3. Melt the butter in a stockpot and sauté the onion, celery, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, carrot, garlic, and fresh mushrooms until soft, about 5 minutes.
4. Lower the heat and add the flour, stirring every 30 seconds for about 5 minutes or until thick.
5. In a soup pot heat the water. Add a cup of mushroom mixture at a time to the pot, stirring.
6. Turn the heat to high, and add the reserved mushroom water (about another 6 cups of liquid) and barley. Stir well and add salt to taste.
7. Simmer, covered, for about an hour or until the barley is tender and the soup is thickened, stirring often.
8. Add additional chopped parsley, mix thoroughly, and adjust seasonings.

Kale, Sweet Potato and Chickpea Stew

A comforting, nutritious stew that was given the thumbs up by everyone in the house-- even the picky three year old. I'll be putting this one in the rotation of regular dinners. Also, all the ingredients are commonly available in our current neck of the woods, which is not often the case for new recipes here in the land of cabbage and carrots.

Serves six to eight


1 medium yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons fresh ginger (chopped)
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (((I omitted)))
3/4 pound kale
2 large sweet potatoes
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas
6 cups (1 1/2 quarts) vegetable broth
1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
2 cups brown rice



1 Cook the rice according to the package instructions – I combined 2 cups long grain brown rice and with 4 cups water, brought to a boil, and simmered for 50 minutes.

2 Prepare the vegetables: Dice the onion. Finely chop the 2 cloves garlic and 2 teaspoons ginger. Wash the kale, remove the tough stems and roughly chop. Dice the sweet potato into bite-sized cubes.

3 Prepare the soup: In a large pot, heat at about 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cook the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, 2 teaspoons ginger, 3/4 teaspoon turmeric and 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper, and cook for 1 minute.

4 Stir in the sweet potatoes. Then add the 6 cups vegetable broth and bring to a simmer.

5 Once the stew is simmering, add the kale and chickpeas. Simmer for about 20 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender.

6 Stir in one cup coconut milk.

7 Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve over brown rice.

Stuffing

Ingredients:

* 1/4 cup finely chopped leek
* 1/2 cup chopped celery
* 1/3 cup butter
* 4 cups french bread cubes (about two small baguettes)
* 1/8 teaspoon pepper
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
* 1/4 to 1/2 thyme
* veg broth

Preparation:
Sauté leek and celery in the butter until softened. Combine leek mixture with bread, pepper, eggs, salt, sage and thyme in a large mixing bowl. Stir in broth until well moistened. Bake in a greased covered shallow casserole at 325° for about 35 to 45 minutes. Take the cover off the last 5 minutes to brown.

(The three of us devoured this amount of stuffing in one sitting. Granted, it was Thanksgiving, but in the future make at least double this amount so we have some leftover.)

Carrot Muffins

2 cups (270 grams) grated raw carrot (about 2-3 peeled carrots)
1 large apple, peeled and grated
2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (3.5 grams) salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup coconut (sweetened or unsweetened) (optional)
3 large eggs
3/4 cup (180 ml) sunflower oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Place paper liners in 12 muffin cups.

Peel and finely grate the carrots and apple. Set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon. Stir in the coconut if using. Set aside.

In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, oil, and vanilla extract. Fold the wet ingredients, along with the grated carrot and apple, into the flour mixture, stirring just until moistened. Evenly divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. After about 10 minutes remove the muffins from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Makes 12 standard-sized muffins.

Fava Fennel Mint Salad

First, remove the outer pod. The easiest way to do this is to grab the pointy end of the bean (the part that used to be attached to the plant), and try to pull off the stringy bit that separates the two halves of the pod. Crack open the pod and remove the inner pods.
Blanch the pods in boiling water briefly (like 1 minute), and then shock them in ice cold water. This keeps them nice and bright green. Next, take each little pod and remove the outer covering to reveal the beautiful, bright green fava bean. Chop up the rest of your ingredients.


Ingredients
2-3 lbs fresh fava beans, (1 1/2 to 2 cups shelled)
Salt
1 small bulb fennel, thinly sliced
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved
10 fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced
2 scallions, sliced
Extra virgin olive oil
Lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper

Prepare fava beans as described above. Toss together fava beans, fennel, and scallions. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, add salt and pepper, and mix. Squeeze in lemon juice to taste. Mix in Parmesan cheese and mint leaves and toss to combine.

Cornbread Muffins

1 c flour
1 1/2 c yellow cornmeal
2 T sugar
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 1/4 c buttermilk (I used 1 1/4 c of milk soured with 3 T vinegar)
1 large egg
2 T melted butter, cooled

Grease or line a 12-cup muffin pan. heat oven to 400 degrees F. In a bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, and butter. Pour the dry mixture into the wet ingredients and stir until just moistened. Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full. Bake for 13-15 minutes. until muffins begin to brown on top.


Makes 12 cornbread muffins

Apple Pie

Entering month 9 of living in Ireland there are two tastes of home I miss on an almost daily basis: corn (mostly in the form of an authentic corn tortilla), and apple pie. The apple pie I've tried here doesn't compare in the least so I just avoid it. But unlike the tortilla problem, I can get all the ingredients I need to make my own apple pie right here. And Rose Levy B is the source, so while this is considerably laborious, it is worth it. Having made this as my first apple pie attempt I feel my confidence bolstered. More pies to come! Oh yes, pumpkin would be next on the list. Though no canned pumpkin in Ireland, either. I'll have to wait until a few show up in the farmer's market next autumn. Until then, Ireland makes some fine butter (a baker's dream) and grows some tasty Bramley apples as well. So here, it is. Pie to make an expat swoon.

Pie Crust:

2 1/2 cups (350 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon (30 grams) granulated white sugar
1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, chilled, and cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup (60 - 120 ml) ice water

Apple Filling:

2 1/2 pounds (1.1 kg) apples (about 6 large), peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick (about 8 cups (2 L))
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons (15 grams) cornstarch (corn flour)

Pie Crust: In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the butter and work through it with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Working the dough with your hands, add 1/4 cup (60 ml) water until the dough just holds together. If necessary, add more water.

Turn the dough onto your work surface and gather into a ball. Divide the dough in half, flattening each half into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about one hour before using. This will chill the butter and relax the gluten in the flour.

After the dough has chilled sufficiently, remove one portion of the dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry into a 12 inch (30 cm) circle. (To prevent the pastry from sticking to the counter and to ensure uniform thickness, keep lifting up and turning the pastry a quarter turn as you roll (always roll from the center of the pastry outwards).) Fold the dough in half and gently transfer to a 9 inch (23 cm) pie pan. Brush off any excess flour and trim the edges of the pastry to fit the pie pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.

Then remove the second round of pastry and roll it into a 12 inch (30 cm) circle. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator.

Make the Apple Filling: In a large bowl combine the sliced apples with the sugars, lemon juice, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to three hours. Then, place the apples and their juices in a strainer that is placed over a large bowl (to capture the juices). Let the apples drain for about 15-30 minutes or until you have about 1/2 cup (120 ml) of juice. Spray a 4 cup (960 ml) heatproof measuring cup with a nonstick vegetable spray, and then pour in the collected juices and the 2 tablespoons (28 grams) of unsalted butter. Place in the microwave and boil the liquid, on high, about 5 to 7 minutes or until the liquid has reduced to about 1/3 cup (80 ml) and is syrupy and lightly caramelized. (Alternatively, you could place the juices and butter in a small saucepan and boil over medium high heat on the stove.)

Meanwhile, remove the top pastry crust from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes so it has time to soften. Transfer the drained apples slices to a large bowl and mix them with the cornstarch (corn flour). Then pour the reduced syrup over the apples and toss to combine. Pour the apples and their syrup into the chilled pie crust. Moisten the edges of the pie shell with a little water and then place the top crust over the apples. Tuck any excess pastry under the bottom crust and then crimp the edges using your fingers or a fork. Using a sharp knife, make five- 2-inch (5 cm) slits from the center of the pie out towards the edge of the pie to allow the steam to escape. Cover the pie with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill the pastry while you preheat the oven.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place the oven rack at the lowest level and place a baking stone or baking sheet on the rack before preheating the oven. Place a piece of aluminum foil on the stone (or pan) to catch any apple juices. Set the pie on the stone or pan and bake for about 45 to 55 minutes or until the juices start to bubble through the slits and the apples feel tender (not mushy) when a toothpick or sharp knife is inserted through one of the slits. Make sure to cover the edges of the pie with a foil ring to prevent over browning after about 30 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 3-4 hours before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or softly whipped cream. Store at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.

Makes one 9 inch (23 cm) pie.