Apple Pie

Apple pie is one of the older and popular recipes. I learnt this recipe from a friend many years ago, and had modified slightly along the way. Apple pie makes a yummy, all time favorite snack. Moreover, you can serve apple pie as a dessert either alone or along with a scoop of ice cream. This microwave recipe works great for me. Let’s go through the step-by-step instructions for baking apple pie successfully.

Ingredients:

For the filling:

Apple – 1 no, large

Sugar – 50ml measure

Lemon juice – 1 teaspoon

Mace powder – ⅕ teaspoon

For the crust:

All purpose flour or maida – 100ml or ½ teacups

Baking powder – ¼ teaspoon

Salted butter – 25gms

Cold milk – 3-4 teaspoons

Milk – for brushing

Method – How to prepare the filling: Wash, peel and core the apple and cut the flesh into small pieces. Add lemon juice and mix together. Heat 50ml of water in a wok, add apple pieces and cook on low flame till the pieces become soft. Now, mash the pieces well using a ladle or vegetable masher. Add sugar and mace powder. Continue to cook till the contents become thick and water is fully absorbed (Fig.1). At this stage, remove from the fire and keep aside.

Fig.1: Apple filling

How to make the crust: Sieve all purpose flour and baking powder together 2-3 times. Add butter and blend with your fingers to form a smooth mass. Now, add cold milk little by little to make the dough into rolling consistency. Divide the dough into two equal parts (Fig.2). 

Fig.2: Pastry dough

Roll out one dough ball into a circle of about 6½” in diameter, dusting with flour as needed. Prick with a fork in several places (Fig.3).

Fig.3: Roll a ball into a circle and prick with fork

Place the rolled out dough at the bottom of a circular pie dish of around 6” diameter, taking care to cover the sides of the dish (Fig.4). 

Fig.4: Place the pastry layer at the bottom of the dish

Set the microwave oven in convection mode and pre-heat the oven at 200^oC for 2 minutes. Now bake the pie dish with pastry layer at 200^oC for 6 minutes (Fig.5).

Fig.5: Baked pastry layer

Remove the dish from the oven and spread the apple filling uniformly over the pastry layer at the bottom of the dish (Fig.6).

Fig.6: Spread the apple filling over pastry layer

Roll out the next dough ball in to a circle of approximately 8”. Cut the pastry layer into thin strips. Cover the apple filling by arranging the strips in a criss-cross pattern. Seal the ends of the dough strips over the edge of the pastry dish. Brush the top layer with milk (Fig.7).

Fig.7: Cover the filling with dough strips

Bake in the microwave oven at 200^oC for 12-14 minutes or till the surface turns golden brown in color (Fig.8). Remove apple pie from the oven and allow it to cool. Cut it into quarters and serve as a dessert either alone or with vanilla ice cream.

Fig.8: Apple Pie baked to perfection !

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Honey Banana Pie

Banana had been the main fruit that was consumed regularly during my childhood. Plantain trees were often grown in the backyard; and the plantains, flower and stem were used for cooking. Banana has been the home remedy for constipation! My grandmother used to advocate bananas for gaining weight! As raw fruits are not often preferred these days, making a dessert with fruits is a desirable alternative. I find this honey-banana pie an easy-to-bake and tasty recipe. Let’s see how to prepare this dessert.

Ingredients:

For the filling:

Banana – medium sized, 2 no

Honey – 2 tablespoons (adjust to taste)

For the crust:

All purpose flour or maida – ½ teacup or 100ml measure

Baking powder – ¼ teaspoon

Salted butter – 25 grams

Method: Peel and cut the bananas into thin slices. Keep aside.

Sieve baking powder and flour 2-3 times. Mix butter and flour in a bowl with your fingers to form a smooth mass. Sprinkle cold water as required to make the dough into rolling consistency. Divide into 2 parts and shape into balls. Roll each ball on a board using rolling pin into a circle of 6” diameter dusting with flour as needed. Place one piece at the bottom of a circular tray or pie dish of 6”diameter, and prick with a fork in several places (Fig.1). 

Fig: Roll the dough ball into a circle and prick with a fork

Bake the tray with bottom piece in a preheated microwave oven using convection mode at 200^oC for 4 minutes (Fig.2). 

Fig.2: Bake the bottom layer in a preheated oven

Remove from the oven. Place the banana slices side-by-side on the bottom piece covering the entire surface. Spread 1 tablespoon of honey over the banana slices taking care to cover all slices. Now place another layer of banana slices over the first layer and spread remaining honey over the second banana layer (Fig.3).

Fig.3: Arrange the banana slices on the bottom layer and top with honey

Now place the second piece of dough layer on top to cover the filling and seal the edges. Prick with a fork and brush with milk (Fig.4).

Fig.4: Cover the filling with second dough layer and seal the edges

Bake in the microwave oven using convection mode at 200^oC for 12 minutes or till the crust turns golden brown in color (Fig.5). Remove from the oven and allow it to cool. 

Fig.5: Bake till the crust turns golden brown

Yummy tasty honey banana pie is ready! Cut into quarters and serve as a dessert (Fig.6).

Fig.6: Cut the pie into quarters and serve!

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Mango Pie

Mango season in India is generally the summer months between April and June every year. As the present season is coming to a close, I wish to share some mango delicacies with you and this mango pie is one of them. When I first started baking more than a decade ago, I felt ‘pastries’ and ‘pies’ were complicated recipes when compared to straight forward cake recipes. Nonetheless, I have learnt to make ‘pies’ successfully after a few trials and errors. Mango pie with its crisp crust enclosing the flavored mango pulp is a delight to eat, and it makes a great dessert. Here’s the step-by-step method of making mango pie.

Ingredients:

For the filling:

Mango – medium sized, 1 no*

Sugar – ¼ teacups or 50ml measure

Cardamom – 2no

Dry ginger powder – 1 teaspoon

For the crust:

All purpose flour or maida – ½ teacup or 100ml measure

Baking powder – ¼ teaspoon

Salted butter – 25 grams
Milk - For brushing 

*You may use any variety of ripe mango for this recipe

Method – How to prepare the filling: Remove the cardamom seeds and powder them finely using the mortar and pestle. Keep aside. 

Wash, peel and cut the mango flesh into small cubes. Heat mango pieces and sugar in a wok on medium flame. Once the sugar melts, reduce the flame. Add cardamom powder and dry ginger powder. Mix well. Cover and cook on low flame till the mango becomes pulpy. Mash with a spoon and continue to cook till the contents become thick (Fig.1). Switch off the stove and allow the filling to cool.

Fig.1: Mango Filling

How to make the crust: Sieve baking powder and flour together 2-3 times. Mix butter and flour mixture in a bowl with your fingers to form a smooth mass. Sprinkle cold water as required to make the dough into rolling consistency. Divide the dough into 2 parts and shape them into balls (Fig.2). 

Fig.2: Dough for making the crust

Roll each ball on a board using rolling pin into a circle of 6” diameter dusting with flour as needed. Place one piece at the bottom of a circular tray or pie dish of 6”diameter, and prick with a fork in several places. Bake the tray with the bottom piece in a preheated microwave oven using convection mode at 200^oC for 4 minutes (Fig.3).

Fig.3: Place the first piece at the bottom of the dish and bake in the oven

Remove from the oven and spread the mango filling evenly on the bottom piece (Fig.4). 

Fig.4: Spread the filling evenly over the baked bottom piece

Now place the second piece on top to cover the filling and seal the edges by pressing with your fingers. Prick with a fork and brush with milk (Fig.5).

Fig.5: Place the second piece over the filling and seal the edges

Bake in the microwave oven using convection mode at 200^oC for 12 minutes or till the crust turns golden brown in color (Fig.6). Remove from the oven and allow it to cool.

Fig.6: Bake till the crust turns golden brown.

Cut the mango pie into quarters and serve as a dessert (Fig.7).

Fig.7: Cut the pie into quarters and serve!

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