makes one 9” pie
 
Single crust all-butter pie shell with orange zest
 
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup white-whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 sticks (8 oz.) cold, unsalted butter cut into small pieces
½ cup ice cold water
 
In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, salt and zest. Using a bench scraper or your fingers, cut in the butter until crumbly. Add the ice cold water a few tablespoons at a time, tossing the mixture to combine, just until the dough becomes shaggy and sticks together when pinched. Gather the dough together and flatten it into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour before rolling out. When the pastry has chilled, roll out the disc on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper into a circle about ⅛” thick and 12” in diameter. Fit the pastry into a 9” pie plate; trim the excess so you have about a 1” overhang, then fold and crimp the edges. Refrigerate while you prepare the crumble.
 
Cornmeal Crumble to top one 9” pie
 
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup fine yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 stick (4 oz.) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg, beaten with a fork
 
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugars, zest, cardamom, flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter using a bench scraper. Drizzle in the beaten egg, using your fingers to combine the mixture into a crumble. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
 
Apple Raspberry Filling
(Note- I used a mix of Honeycrisp, Macoun, and Granny Smith apples. Fresh raspberries are preferable, but in a pinch you can use frozen; just make sure they are individually quick frozen and not packed in syrup.)
 
6-7 apples (about 2½ pounds) a blend of sweet and tart, peeled, cored and sliced ¼” thick
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 generous cup fresh raspberries, lightly rinsed, dried on a paper towel
½ teaspoon lemon zest
½ teaspoon orange zest
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup dark brown sugar
pinch of salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cornstarch
 
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. When the oven is hot, retrieve the pie shell from the fridge, place it on a baking sheet and line the pie shell with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Fill with pie weights or beans and place on the lowest rack of the preheated oven. Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 degrees F and remove the pie shell from the oven. Carefully remove the parchment (or foil) and pie weights (or beans) and set them aside. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork to prevent it from puffing up. Return the pie shell to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes until the crust is set and lightly golden. (If it has crept up, gently press it down with your fingers.) Set the pie shell aside to cool while you mix the filling.
 
Make sure your oven is preheated to 425 degrees.
 
Retrieve the cornmeal crumble from the fridge. In a large bowl, toss together the apple slices and the orange juice. (Do not add the raspberries yet or they will break down too much.) In a medium bowl, whisk together the zests, sugars, salt, spices, flour, and cornstarch. Add the sugar/spice mixture to the apples, gently turning to coat the fruit evenly. Turn half of the filling into the par-baked pie shell. Dot with half of the raspberries. Add the remainder of the apples and the raspberries. Break apart the cornmeal crumble with your fingers and sprinkle it evenly over the top of the pie. Don’t be tempted to smash the crumble down over the fruit, let it sit high- it will hug the filling as it bakes down. Place the pie on a parchment lined baking sheet, cover the edges of the pie with strips of aluminum foil and bake on the bottom shelf of the oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven heat to 375 degrees and move the pie to the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 50 minutes, keeping an eye on things, covering the top of the pie with a sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil if it starts to get too brown; you want it to be toasty, not dark. Check the apples to see if they are tender; they may need an additional 8-10 minutes. The pie will bubble around the edges and the apples will yield to the tip of a paring knife when the pie is done. Set on a cooling rack and allow to cool for several hours before slicing. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.
 
 
 
 

Yes, this takes several hours from start to finish, but the beautiful thing is that you can prepare the dough in the morning, let it rise briefly, then pop it in the fridge for hours and return to it. It only needs another brief rise after braiding and about 45 minutes in the oven. It is so well worth the effort.
 
(adapted from Marcy Goldman)
 
makes one circular challah, approximately 10” in diameter
 
2 tablespoons dry yeast
1½ cups warm water
3 eggs + 1 egg yolk (reserve extra egg white for egg wash)
2 tablespoons honey
½ cup sugar
2½ teaspoons kosher salt
⅓ cup vegetable oil
5-6 cups bread flour (I’ve used all-purpose in a pinch, and it turned out beautifully)
1 cup dark or golden raisins, or dried cherries, plumped in ½ cup heated orange juice for 30 minutes, then drained
 
egg wash made from 1 egg white combined with 2 tablespoons of cold water
poppy or sesame seeds for sprinkling
 
Place the warm water and yeast in a Pyrex measuring cup; let stand 5 minutes until foamy. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place the eggs, egg yolk, honey, sugar, salt, and oil. Mix on low speed to combine, then add the water/yeast mixture. Add 1 cup of the flour to the egg/yeast mixture and beat on low speed, gradually adding the additional flour. (If your mixer has a dough hook attachment, swap it for the paddle. If not, carry on.) Mix the dough for about 6 minutes, scrape down the sides and the dough hook (or paddle) and add the drained raisins or cherries. Mix briefly to incorporate the dried fruit into the dough.
 
Turn the dough out of the mixing bowl into a large bowl that has been lightly sprayed with non-stick cooking spray or greased with butter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes. Gently deflate the dough, re-cover it with plastic wrap, and place the bowl in the refrigerator where it will continue to rise. I like to let the dough rise for 5-6 hours in the fridge and come back to it.  Retrieve the bowl of dough, remove the plastic wrap and gently deflate the dough which will have risen dramatically. Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough warm up to room temperature for about 15 minutes. With lightly floured hands, divide the dough into 3 even pieces. On a clean, floured surface, roll each piece of dough into a rope approximately 14” long. Join the three ropes of dough at the top and make a nice snug braid. Coil the braid around itself to create a circle. Carefully transfer the challah to a lightly buttered 10” springform pan. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise until double, about 45 minutes. 15 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
 
Remove the kitchen towel and place the springform pan on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake until golden and the inner temperature registers between 190 and 200 degrees F on an insta-read thermometer, about 45 minutes. Let cool thoroughly before diving in. If there are any leftovers, french toast is key the next morning.
 

 makes one 9” pie
 
(adapted from Farm Journal’s Caramel Apple Pie and the National Honey Board recipe booklet)
 
For the Caramel
 
½ cup mild flavored honey
¼ cup dark brown sugar
2 oz. sweet butter
½ cup heavy cream
¼ teaspoon good quality vanilla
1 teaspoon sea salt
 
In a heavy-bottomed pan (mine is a 3 qt. size), combine honey, brown sugar, and butter. Cook over medium high heat until sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally with a wooden or silicone treated spoon. Allow the caramel to cook until it deepens in color a bit. Slowly add the heavy cream, the mixture will steam and get foamy. Stir gently to combine, then continue to cook until the caramel thickens. I cook it until my insta-read thermometer registers 238 degrees. Stir in the vanilla and the salt. (The mixture will continue to thicken as it cools.) Let the caramel cool completely before using it in your pie.
 
For the Pie
 
2 discs of Pate Brisée (enough for a double crusted 9” pie)
2 ¾ lbs. of apples (I prefer a combination of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, cut into ¼ inch slices
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
zest of one lemon
1/3 cup of Honey Salted Caramel, cooled
egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 Tablespoon heavy cream)
 
Turn the oven on to 400 degrees. Roll out one disc of Pate Brisée and fit it into a 9” pie plate. (My pie plate is 2” deep- don’t use a shallow little pie plate or you will be scrubbing caramel out of your oven.) Roll out the second disc for the top crust; set it on a parchment lined baking sheet. Let the pie shell and top crust chill in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
 
In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with the lemon juice and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cornstarch and the lemon zest. 
 
Combine the sugar, spice, cornstarch mixture with the apples to coat well. Mound the apples tightly in the pie shell, then drop dollops of the caramel on top of the fruit. Drape the top crust over the apples. Fold the top layer of dough under the bottom layer of dough, and tuck the two together, sealing the pie. Crimp the edges. Brush the pie with egg wash and poke three or four steam vents in the top crust. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, cover the edges of the pie with strips of aluminum foil to prevent overbrowning, and bake on the bottom rack of your oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake for an additional 30 minutes. Remove the foil strips and bake approximately 10 minutes longer or until the apples test tender with a sharp knife. The pie needs to cool for 3 hours or more before slicing. 
 
 
 

(pastry and crumble adapted from David Lebovitz)
 
makes one 9” tart
 
Pastry Dough-
 
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) cold, unsalted butter cut into pieces
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
 
Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low speed, add the sugar and beat until well combined. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl. Add the egg yolks and mix on low, then add the flour, the salt, and the extracts mixing just until the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Shape into a disc, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for one hour before rolling out. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9” springform pan.
 
On a lightly floured sheet of parchment, roll the chilled dough into a circle 12” in diameter and ⅛” thick. Transfer the dough to the springform pan, smoothing the dough evenly across the bottom of the pan and halfway up the sides. Place the pan in the freezer for 30 minutes. Prepare the crumble topping.
 
Crumble Topping-
 
¾ cup whole almonds
½ cup all-purpose flour
⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
 
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, place the almonds, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the cold butter, pulse until the mixture is crumbly but do not over process. Empty the crumble into a container, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
 
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
 
Retrieve the springform pan from the freezer. Line the pastry dough with a sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil, making sure to cover the sides of the pan. Fill the pan with dried beans. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment or foil and beans from the pan; return the pan to the middle rack of the oven and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes, just until the pastry is golden. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool while you prepare the filling.
 
Filling-
 
2 pounds of stone fruit, washed, peeled (if necessary), pitted and cut in quarters (you should have 6 cups of fruit)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ginger
pinch of salt
zest from one small orange
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
 
Make sure your oven is preheated to 375 degrees F.
 
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, spices, and orange zest. Place the fruit in a large bowl. Toss with the lemon juice, then with the sugar/spice mixture, turning with a rubber spatula so it is well combined. Add the vanilla and almond extracts. Turn the fruit filling into the tart shell, smooth with an offset spatula. Retrieve the crumble topping from the refrigerator, cover the fruit evenly with the crumble and place on a baking sheet. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45 minutes. Cover the tart with a sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil to prevent over browning, and bake for an additional ten minutes, until the fruit bubbles around the edges and the tart begins to bubble from the center. Remove from the oven and set on a rack to cool. Use an offset spatula to help release the sides of the springform. Let the tart cool for at least 2 hours before serving to help it set up. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.