Apple Cinnamon Buns with Maple Bourbon Icing

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. 

When I was asked to create a recipe using Organic Washington apples, I immediately said yes. I have a soft spot for these apples, and this part of the world, after all. Way, way back when this blog was just a baby, I was invited to go visit some organic fruit orchards in the Wenatchee area, and I had the absolute best time. Washington state is known for being one of the premier apple-growing regions in the world, and the growing conditions make Washington the finest place to grow organic apples. The apple trees grow in nutrient-rich, volcanic soil, perfect for growing fruit. The dry climate and ideal temperatures reduce the number of diseases and pest issues that can wreak havoc on the fruit. Plus, plentiful water and advanced growing practices provide the right ingredients for growing top-quality fruit. I still remember seeing orchards hugging the Washington hillsides, as far as the eye can see. It’s a beautiful thing to witness, and one day I hope to visit the area again.  

Fall Flavours: Spiced Apple Pie with Lattice Crust

I was asked by Carusele to participate in this campaign, sponsored by Splenda Stevia Canada. Although I have been compensated, all opinions are my own.

There are still a few days *officially left in summer, but I'm crushing on fall super hard already. The leaves are turning gorgeous yellows and oranges, and on my morning walk today I even kicked up a few just because I can. I love the smell of fall: earthy and melancholic. Summer had its time to shine, and now it's all about getting ready for the stillness of the colder months. And with the colder months, it means my oven is on all the time, full of roast chickens and vegetables, stews and braises, and pies, oh the pies! First one out of the gate is a special pie, made with Splenda® Stevia No Calorie Sweetener.

Someone close to me is majorly cutting back their sugar intake and has requested that I bake them something that they can indulge in at all the fall festivities, like Thanksgiving. Perhaps you're in the same boat too, where someone special who'll be sitting at your dining table this fall can't eat as much sugar as the rest of us, but doesn't want to feel left out or excluded by a sugary sweet dessert. As a host, and a professional baker, I feel it's important to meet people where they're at on the sugar scale, and if this means I forgo sugar and bake with Splenda Stevia once in awhile, I'm totally okay with that. 

Splenda Stevia gets its sweetness from the stevia leaf and is sourced from the sweeter, cleaner-tasting part of the stevia leaf so there is no bitter aftertaste. Combined with apples freshly picked from my friend Kim's tree, and loads of warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom, the pie tasted super good, like all of my other pies. Seeing the smile on my loved one's face as they savoured a slice meant the world to me. Splenda Stevia really is a sweet way to reduce sugar in your favourite foods without sacrificing taste. 

For the apple pie filling, instead of sugar I used Splenda Stevia Sweetener, Granulated, a new product recently released. It's cool in that you can use it cup-for-cup with sugar. So, I usually add about 1/2 cup sugar into my apple pie filling, and for this recipe I used 1/2 cup Splenda Stevia Sweetener, Granulated instead. Kim's apples were on the tart side, and overall I was really happy with the sweetness here. If you like a sweeter pie, you could add up to 2/3 cup of Splenda Stevia. 

Baking a pie doesn’t have to be perfect. Once you take the pressure off yourself, it’s amazing what can happen. Also, don’t be intimidated by the lattice crust. It’s just pieces of pastry woven together, like a basket. If you go under instead of over, don’t fret. You’ve made a pie! I love how the bottom crust is folded over the lattice edges to give a rustic look. It also traps the juices, keeping all that loveliness inside the pie instead of on the bottom of your oven, which we don't want. 

As the apple pie baked away in the afternoon, my house smelled amazing. As I pulled the apple pie from my oven I breathed in the scent, and was so happy to see the juices bubbling and the lattice crust golden brown and glorious. The hardest part was waiting for the pie to cool so we could taste a slice, but the wait was worth it. Full of spiced apple flavour, with a hint of vanilla and lemon, the pie pleasantly tasted of fall, with no bitter aftertaste usually associated with stevia.  As the days get cooler and cozier, I know there'll be more pies and other baked goods coming out of my oven. It's good to know that if I have to bake for someone who doesn't eat that much sugar, I have an excellent ingredient such as Splenda Stevia to rely on. Happy fall baking, all! 

Spiced Apple Pie with Lattice Crust

3 pounds baking apples, peeled and cored

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup - 2/3 cup Splenda Stevia Sweetener, Granulated 

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp each ground cloves, nutmeg and cardamom

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 discs of pastry, enough for a deep-dish pie 

1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water

1. Toss together the sliced apples, lemon juice, Splenda Stevia, flour, spices and vanilla in a large bowl. 

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 disc of pastry into a 13-inch circle, or thereabouts. Place it in the bottom of a deep-dish 9-inch pie plate, with the pastry overhanging the edges of the pie plate. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry in another 14-inch circle for the top crust. Use a ruler to guide you when cutting the pastry into 8-9 long strips to keep the edges straight. Save the 2 end pieces in case you need to do any patching. I like wide strips, but if you like a thinner look, feel free to cut thin strips of pastry. Weave the pastry strips, going over and under, making sure they connect with the edges of the pie crust, which I've moistened with egg wash. Fold over the edges of the bottom crust, tucking in the lattice ends. This will help to trap the juices and give a rustic look.

3. Preheat the oven to 350F. Brush the top of the pie with the egg wash. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake it for about 90 minutes, until it’s golden brown and bubbling. Remove the pie from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool.

Fallen: Rustic Almond Pear Galette with Dulce de Leche

When I look back on the year 2013, I will have to say it was anything but boring.  I've never much cared for roller coasters, but this year is quickly becoming one.  You might recall that I recently returned from my yurt adventure, all rejuvenated and rosy cheeked.  Warm, fuzzy feelings of everything being right in the world set in.  It was good times.  Flashback to a week ago when, out on an innocent sightseeing Sunday, I took a tumble and fell, hard.  Too smitten with the South Saskatchewan River to watch where I was going, my foot caught in a rut and I, in all my uncoordinated glory, ended up breaking a bone in my right foot.  At first I thought it was a simple, yet painful sprain, but as the shock wore off the excruciating pain set in and yup, an X-Ray revealed a broken foot.  Oh my.  This was so not how things were supposed to go for me!  I had plans and activities and work to look forward to.  Now, I'm laid up with crutches and an oh-so-sexy walking boot that still scares the bejeezus out of the cats.  Seeing as I'm the pastry chef in a busy kitchen, work is put on hold indefinitely.  I've had to rely on friends to help do simple tasks around the house.  Let me tell you, it's pretty humbling to see someone else sweep your floor, do your laundry and take out your trash.  I'll never again take for granted these simple activities that I wish I could do for myself.  The broken foot has definitely cramped my independence, but given that today is Thanksgiving in Canada, I still have so much to be grateful for.  Like, of all the bones to break in the foot, I broke the right one, requiring only 6 weeks to heal instead of 6 months (that would surely put me over the edge).  I'm grateful to the friends and family to have stopped by with food, comforting words and offers of assistance.  The sign of a true friend is one who will clean the litter box without being asked.  True that.  I've no doubt I'll heal well; the pain and swelling are already decreasing.  Just be patient, the doctor said.  I nodded my head.  Just another one of life's adventures to look back upon when I'm 90 years old and shooting the shit in the seniors' home.