It Looks Just Like The Picture!
November 29, 2008
I know you’ve done it: you see a beautiful photograph of some food item on a cookbook or magazine, and you buy it, full of hope that you will be able to recreate it in your own kitchen. It rarely comes out looking just as wonderful as that enticing photo, although it usually tastes pretty good. Then there is the rare occasion when the stars align and magic happens.
This recipe came from the Fall entertaining issue of Cook’s Illustrated magazine. It snagged the cover shot and was the main reason I purchased the issue. I dreamed of serving this beautiful pie to my loved ones on Thanksgiving. It turns out dreams do come true!
One of the most interesting things about this recipe (and there are a couple) is that there is vodka in the recipe for the crust. Apparently it is an irreplaceable dough tenderizer. I happened to have a bottle of Grey Goose on hand for holiday entertaining, so I went for it. The dough works up beautifully, and after I had rolled out the crust I had to taste it. Not a whiff of the booze. And it baked up beautifully and tasted great: flaky and light yet substantial enough for the tart filling. I made a double batch and used the same dough for my pumpkin pie and it turned out beautifully as well.
The other interesting bit about the recipe was that you cook the cranberrry filling and apple filling seperately before putting them in the pie shell. I was concerned that the filling would be mushy by the time the crust was finished baking. I used golden delicious apples, and they held up well through both cooking experiences. Tart cranberries, sweet-tart apples, and tender buttery crust. What could be better on Thanksgiving?
Entry Filed under: baking, pies/tarts. Tags: apple cranberry pie, cook's illustrated magazine, pie crust, vodka pie dough.
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