Best of 2013

One of the Year's Best --- Corn Caprese Salad from Jane

Happy New Year! 

Well, Thanksgiving rolled into Christmas and now the new year is already here.  Hard for me to believe!

Just for fun, thought it might be fun to look back on 2013 before we embark on 2014. 

(Click on the recipe title to see the full post.)

Best Recipe:  Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Mini-Muffins.  Unassuming yet oh-so-yummy.  Made them many times this year.  There is something about them being mini which makes them even yummier.

Best Twist of a Recipe:  Colleen's switch from raspberry jam to Nutella in her Nutella Oatmeal Bars.  Really, really good if you like chocolate hazelnut!

Best Soup:  Dee's Easy Seafood Chowder (Tom's version).

Best Bread:  No Knead Cheesy Chive Bread

Best Veggie:  Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta.  (Will be posting this version soon.)

Best Summer Recipe:  Jane's Corn Caprese Salad

Best Salad:  Sesame Shrimp Salad with Miso Dressing

Best Fish:  Grilled Salmon Steaks from Dee

Best Nut:  Pecans --- even though there was a shortage. 

Best Dessert:  Jeanne's Hot Fudge Sauce from Ben and Jerry

Tom's Favorites of the Year:  1) Beef Broccoli Lo Mein 2) Jacques Pepin's Spicy Leg of Lamb

Most Unusual:  Guinness Brownies

Most comforting:  Mary's Jasmine Tea Pearls

Best Sunday Dinner:  Roasted Chicken with Onions, Apples and Carrots (and/or Potatoes) 

Best International Flavors:  Indian Pepper Chicken by Tom

Best Restaurant "Find":  Chimiama in Florence for the International traveler or El Paso's L and J Café by the Graveyard for great Tex-Mex for the domestic traveler

Best Food Adventure:  King Arthur Cooking School in Norwich,Vermont

Best Turkey:  Stierly Farms.  They brought us a great turkey this year.  And thanks to Terri Gross's PBS broadcast just before Thanksgiving, I learned to rub the breast meat with salt 24 hours in advance and let the turkey air dry in the fridge.  I don't remember all the cooking science involved but it made for a moist, flavorful turkey and crispy skin.

Best Gadget:  our new Oxo Food Mill.

Worst dish of the year:  Nothing will ever be worse than the inedible duck I made for Tom in 2012

If I missed any of your favorites, just weigh in and let me know what you think!

B

Essential Thanksgiving Link from Marianne

Hi Barbara---

This was in Saturday's NYT -- fun to see the videos. I am going to try the Brussell sprout hash. I only have one oven so I appreciate any make-ahead and stove top recipes. I am also going to try the make-ahead gravy and add drippings right before serving.
    ----Marianne

Essential Thanksgiving Your guide to the year?s most important meal, with our best recipes, videos, techniques and tricks. Or, copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://nyti.ms/17SJuJE

Thanksgiving Recipes for Veggies?

First of all,  Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who has taken the time to read this blog! 

We are going on the 5th year of sharing recipes and food adventures here on Feast Everyday, and I really appreciate everyone who has participated or followed the blog.

I am finding myself relying on the Recipe Index more and more to look up the recipes we use frequently or ingredients needed for holiday meals while I am shopping. 

This Thanksgiving I am using

• Chris's mother's Apple Pie
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip muffins, minis for the kiddos
• Mrs. King's lasagne for the night before
• Grandma Hall's bread stuffing
• Cranberry Orange Sauce
• Ann's Ultimate Pumpkin Pie (maybe --- I might just stick to the basic - this one is hard to pull off well--
• plus the usual suspects, like mashed potatoes, and a green salad 

Plus my cousin, Susan, showed me a recipe she uses for a baked egg casserole which  I'll try for breakfast and post afterwards.

But this year I am still stuck on what vegetables to make --- which don't either take up my oven while the turkey is still cooking --- or interfere with gravy making on the stove top.

I usually roast brussel sprouts because Tom loves them so much, and sauté another like glazed carrots for color.  But they are a hassle to do with everything else going on.

Ideally, I'd like a vegetable (or two) which I could pre-cook, at least partially, and then reheat in the microwave, or keep warm on a hot plate.

Any suggestions?????

B

Also, while you are cooking this year, please think about taking a photo (cell phone ones are fine) and sharing some of your favorites with us. 

Bacon Wrapped Honey Chicken for Sunday dinner

Note from B:  My sister, Jane,  recently mentioned that she often makes this dish.  I posted it back in February 2009 when first starting up Feast Everyday.  I had forgotten about it!  It is so easy to do, yet seems special.  I made it for Sunday dinner yesterday, and it was pretty darn good, I must say. 

This is a simple, tasty way to bake chicken which came about when we received a jar of local honey from our friend, Bud, who is an experienced beekeeper in addition to being president of our community college. We used boneless, skinless thighs but I am sure it would work with breasts, too. Be sure they aren't wet.  (Dry with a paper towel if necessary.)  To start, lightly season each side of the chicken with salt, then put a spoonful of honey on each thigh, then place a sage leaf on top. (If your honey is too runny, chill it first.)

Wrap each piece with a strip of bacon. 

Tuck the ends underneath. And place them on a shallow roasting pan.


Scatter some vegetables to roast along with the chicken. This time we used broccoli, but it was even better with sweet potatoes the first time I tried to do this.

Roast at 350 degrees for about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes depending on the thickness of your thighs.. The bacon turns crispy and the juices flavor the veggies. The bacon also keeps the meat moist. The sage leaf is not overpowering and looks interesting showing through the bacon.

The leftovers reheat easily for lunch or dinner the next day.

B

Molasses Crinkles by Colleen

Molasses Crinkles by Colleen

Hi Barb---
Just made these for kids in my class and took to Spanish class tonight and they were a big hit in both venues. Flavor of gingerbread without all the work. Really easy and kids love to help with the glaze.
       --- Colleen

Molasses Crinkles

3 sticks of butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar, packed
2 eggs1/2 cup molasses*
4 1/2 cups flour
4 teaspoons soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cloves
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ginger

*Spray the inside of the measuring cup with a little bit of cooking spray/Pam before you pour in the molasses. It will make it easier for the molasses to pour out of the cup. This trick works for anything sticky; honey, peanut butter, etc.

Optional Glaze/Drizzle:
Powdered sugar (about 2 cups)
Milk or water (about 1/4 cup, or as needed to make icing easy to work with)

Cream butter and sugar and add eggs and molasses. 
Then stir in dry ingredients.
Roll into balls the size of walnuts and refrigerate on waxed paper-lined baking sheet until thoroughly chilled.
Heat oven to 375.
Take each ball and dip top in sugar or sanding sugar (sugar sprinkles).
Place on greased baking sheet, sugar side up, and sprinkle a few drops of water on top of each cookie.
Bake until just set, but not hard for 10-12 minutes.Let cool for a few minutes on baking sheet and then transfer to rack tocool.
You can drizzle with a powdered sugar glaze to make them more festive.
Mix powdered sugar with either milk or water and put in squeeze bottle.
Move bottle over cookies back and forth while squeezing lightly.Let drizzle set before putting in container.
-
     ---Colleen

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Fabulous Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies by Colleen

Fabulous Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies by Colleen

Hi Barb--

Here is another recipe for you. Just made it to send to William in a care package. If you like chocolate and peanut butter, these are HEAVEN. Not sure if I have sent before. I submitted it to a PTA cookbook once.

The thing to do is to get on my friend Megan Fisher¹s distribution list and have her bring you her cookies already made. Short of that, stock up on the Reese's (or pirate them out of your kid's Halloween candy) and make your own. This is a good time to get the Reese's cheap post Halloween. My Target has walls of leftover candy. I double the recipe. It is a bit of work to make with all the unwrapping, and go big or go home, right?

---Colleen

Megan's Fabulous Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

2 1/4 cups flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
10 large Reese's peanut butter cups, cut into 4-6 pieces*
1 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips

Cream butter and peanut butter together with sugar.
Add vanilla and eggs.
Add in flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt and mix until smooth.
Stir in peanut butter cup pieces and chocolate chips.
Drop dough (about 3 Tablespoons) onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake in 350 degree oven 11-13 minutes until dry and slightly firm to touch.
LET COOKIES COOL ON SHEET FOR AT LEAST ONE MINUTE before removing carefully to cooling rack. Use wide spatula for removal.
Cool completely and then store in airtight container.

Makes 2-3 dozen cookies.

(*I think you can also use the small Reese's peanut butter cups (use 20-25), but don¹t use Reese's Pieces. You won't get the same comforting feeling if you are crunching through the hard candy coating. Leave the Reese's Pieces to ET.)

---Colleen

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Apple Pie by Chris -- My Mom's Long-Time Recipe

 

Apple Pie by Chris - My Mom's Long-Time Recipe

Funny thing is that everyone in my family loves this pie COLD! I have to bake and cool it early in the day so it can be chilled by dinner. Leftovers are a morning breakfast favorite.

I should also add that for years, John and Matt have both asked for this apple pie for their birthdays instead of cake!

   ---Chris

Apple Pie
(my mom's long-time recipe)

Crust:
2 1/4 c. flour
9 T lard - yes, I know but it makes the flakiest crust!
4.5 T. butter
1.5 t. sugar
3/4 t. salt
3-4 T. very cold water

Mix dry ingredients. Cut in lard and butter until it's evenly crumbled. I do this by hand. Add enough cold water to make it all stick together. Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate at least an hour. Can even do the day before.

Pie:
6-7 c. peeled, sliced apples - my favorites are (in order) Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, and 20 oz. cooking apples
Add 3/4 - 1 c. sugar and sprinkle with 1/8 t. salt.

Put in pie crust and dot with 2 T. butter. Put top crust on and seal. Brush the top with milk and sprinkle on a mixture of 2 T. sugar, 1/2 t. cinnamon and 1/4 t. nutmeg. Slice a few vents into top.

Bake 10 mins at 450 and then lower temp to 375 for about 30 minutes.

---Chris

Warm Bittersweet Chocolate Tart with Spiced Almonds by Chris

Chris's Pies

Note from B:  We enjoyed Chris's baking talents recently -- so I asked her to share her two pie recipes with us.  Today I will post this delicious chocolate confection --- the crunchy almonds are really interesting and fun to eat with the rich chocolate pie. 

Tomorrow I will post her Mom's favorite apple pie recipe. Not to be missed!   --- B

Warm Bittersweet Chocolate Tart with Spiced Almonds
(from Four Star Desserts by Emily Luchetti)

9 inch prebaked tart shell

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
6 T. unsalted butter
3 large eggs
1/8 t. salt
1 T light corn syrup
2 T. milk
1/2 t. vanilla
1 t. dark rum
1/3 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325.
Melt chocolate and butter together. Whisk till smooth.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, and sugar. Add the corn syrup and then the milk, vanilla, and rum. Mix till smooth.
Stir in the melted chocolate mixture.
Spread chocolate chips on bottom of tart shell.
Pour chocolate mixture over them.
Bake until almost completely set, 20-25 mins.

Serve warm with dollop of whipped cream and spiced almonds.

Spiced almonds:

1/4 c. dark brown sugar
1.5 T cinnamon
1/2 lg. egg white
1.5 t. vanilla
1 1/3 c. whole natural almonds

Preheat over to 300 degrees
In small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
In medium bowl, whisk egg white till frothy. Stir in vanilla, almonds and reserved brown sugar mixture.
Spread almonds in single layer on a baking sheet and bake them, stirring every 10 minutes until they are dry, about 30 minutes.

           ----Chris

Easy Buttermilk Chocolate Cake with Sprinkles by Colleen

Easy Buttermilk Chocolate Cake with Sprinkles

 

Hi Barb--

 

Okay so I tried something new yesterday. Recipe below. I had known that if you didn't have buttermilk you could "make" your own but had been afraid to try. However, I was EMBOLDENED by my successful substitution of Nutella for jam in the oatmeal bars, so I went ahead.

The cheat is embedded in therecipe. But basically you add vinegar to milk and let sit for 10 minutes or so.

I read a number of reviews on Emeril Lagasse's site and everyone seemed to think it worked fine. The one person who WASN'T happy with the cheat was someone who was actually hoping to drink the concoction as BUTTERMILK. Apparently, one of the 7 people who stills drinks buttermilk in North America. So if you really want your buttermilk as a beverage, this is NOT a good idea. Go to the store, or churn your own as some helpful person on the site explained. Right. And then go find some sheep to shear and spin your own wool.

I have my limits with this whole DIY thing. Anyway, the cake turned out great. Recipe originally from Good Housekeeping Favorite Recipes *All recipes triple tested* which means so easy a chimp could do it. Chimps and me.

      ----Colleen

Easy Buttermilk Chocolate Cake

2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup unsweetened (not dutched/no alkali added)
1 3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk*
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Frosting of your choice


Preheat oven to 350. Grease 2 9-inch cake pans or 10-inch Bundt.

1. In large bowl combine flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda salt.

2. In separate bowl, whisk buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla.

3. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture and whisk until smooth.

4. Pour into pans and bake about 30 minutes for 9 inch pans or 40  minutes for Bundt.

5. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. Run knife around edge of pan to loosen. Then invert on wire rack and remove pan and let cool completely.

6. Make frosting of your choice. I did vanilla butter cream (3 cups powdered sugar, 1 cup soft butter, 2 teaspoons vanilla and 3-4 Tablespoons of whipping cream, beaten together until smooth and spreadable. Add more cream if needed)

I had tastefully scattered sprinkles on the top of the cake. It looked a little underdressed. So then I decided to tart it up like a Vegas Show Girl.

There is a better system for this than cupping handfuls of sprinklings and slapping onto the side of the cake. There are titled cake stands for frosting and applying sprinkles/nuts/etc to the sides with some sort of catch bin below for the many many sprinkles that yearn to run free all over your kitchen.I have none of that gear (where to store?) So I made a giant mess. I finally realized that I could at least capture some of the fall off with a piece of parchment or waxed paper under the cake. And used a pastry brush to clear the strays. Still, messy, but worth it.

I use DeRuijter.

*If you don't have buttermilk, you can make it by pouring about 7 teaspoons of vinegar into bottom of 2 cup measuring cup. Fill to 1 1/2 cup level with regular milk or mixture of milk and cream. I used about 1 cup skim milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream. Let sit 10-15 minutes.
 
              ----Colleen

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Will Green Tomatoes Ripen?

On left, after 3 weeks. On right, just picked.

Yes, green tomatoes will ripen. It takes 3-4 weeks.

This year I had only a few pitiful tomato plants. Two here and one at the lake. They barely produced, so each tomato was precious.

The red tomato on the left was picked three weeks ago when we closed the cottage. The green tomato was picked a few days ago when we finally had a hard frost here.

Low humidity, northern light, and time did the trick.

Other ways to ripen tomatoes:

Place in a bag or box with a green-ish banana--or an apple---to release ethylene gas to help to ripen them. Check daily.

Or wrap individually in newspaper, no more than 2 layers deep, and place in a dark, dry area for 3-4 weeks, checking periodically for any sign of rot, so you don't lose the crop.

There may be other methods, but that's what I have learned.

B

 

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Nutella Oatmeal Bars by Colleen

Colleen's photo of her Nutella Oatmeal Bars

Hey Barb,

These are pretty good! I'm kinda glad I didn't have jam on hand. And so so easy. Great bar cookie to make for kids. Especially if those kids live on Nutella. And if you are brave, they can help. I mixed the crust/topping mixture together with my hands. 

I bought a children's book for our neighbors who took in our papers when we went to Minnesota.  The book, Charlie Goes to School is by the Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond,  and is about their Basset Hound dog helping around the ranch and her homeschool.  

In the back of the book is a recipe for Strawberry Oatmeal Bars. See below. But I changed it to raspberry because I like raspberry better.   But then I didn't have raspberry jam on hand, and substituted Nutella. 

---Colleen


Strawberry/Raspberry/Nutella Oatmeal Bars
( from http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/desserts/strawberry-oatmeal-bars/)

Ingredients
1-3/4 stick cold butter, cut into pieces
1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cup oats (quick Or regular)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoons salt
1 jar (10 To 12 Ounce)  Strawberry or Raspberry Preserves or Nutella

Preparation Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 x 13 or 8 x 10 baking dish.
Mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse crumbs.
Sprinkle half the mixture into the pan and pat lightly to pack it a little tight.
Spoon strawberry preserves evenly over the surface, then use a dinner knife to carefully spread it around. Sprinkle the other half of the oat mixture over the top and pat lightly again.

 

It was tricky to spread the Nutella.  I will let you know later if it was genius or dumb.

Baked.  Smells good!

Bake until light golden brown on top, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in pan.
When cool, cut into squares and serve.

It worked!  Genius!  Yum!

 

---Colleen

Italian Market Memories

Basket of Tomatoes at Rapallo Market

 

September was a great time to go to Italy because there was an abundance of produce.  Look at these beautiful plum tomatoes!

We'd cross through the markets whenever we could, on our way to see the sights, just to take in all of the color and freshness-- and energy.   

Mushrooms were just coming in.  We had some great pasta with mushrooms as a primi , but I also tried what turned out to be one of my favorite dishes -- a salad of fresh sliced porcini, celery and parmesan --- at a restaurant called La Bussola in Florence. 

Figs were also in season --and amazing.  Tom loved the salumi with fig antipasti at Osteria del Gatto in Siena.  And he doesn't even like figs.  

Jams made from local fruits were part of the daily breakfasts, served with either brioche, croissants, or hearty bread. 

We saw lots of colorful legumes like these.

And of course -- lots of grapes --- it was harvest time for making wine.

But what is also impressive is how everyone finds a place to grow their own tomatoes, even in the tiniest backyard lots, or on trellises like these, along the path we hiked in the Cinque Terre. 

Now, when I think of Italy, I think of tomatoes. 

B

Zucchini and Tomato Gratin by Jacques Pepin from Colleen

A good use for zucchini

Hi Barb--

I made a very simple but good recipe from the Essential Pepin (Jacques Pepin) cookbook. 

The link shows a photo (which wasn't in the cookbook so I had to guess what to do about cutting the zucchini and I guessed wrong and only had cherry tomatoes, but it doesn't matter. The point is to cut the zucchini in thinnish strips so they will cook through in the oven.)

I did two layers of zucchini and tomatoes and put a little dried basil (fresh would be nice if on hand) and cheese and pepper in between the layers, and then put the crumbs on top. I baked it along with some chicken I was roasting for about 45 minutes. 

The top was browning too fast, so I loosely covered it with foil at the end (not too tight - you don't want to steam the crumbs) until the zucchini was cooked through. It was tasty. 

I didn't use nearly the 1/4 cup olive oil on the veggies and it was fine. You can easily cut back there to make this a fairly healthy recipe.  I used double fiber whole wheat bread. 

So often for dinner I saute veggies and I find that the last minute cooking is a hassle with trying to get the food on the table and timing everything to be done at roughly the same time. 

This can bake along with other foods as you prep salad or set the table and it can sit happily for a few minutes until dinner is served. But it has a fancy name, so I can be snooty as a cover for my general laziness.

  ---Colleen

http://blogs.kqed.org/essentialpepin/2011/09/11/zucchini-and-tomato-gratin/

Zucchini and Tomato Gratin
(from Essential Pepin)

You can prepare this colorful gratin up to 1 day ahead. Fresh oregano will add the most flavor, but dried can be used if fresh is not available.

Serves 6

4 zucchini, about 6 inches long (1 1/2–1 3/4 pounds)
3 large ripe tomatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into 12 slices each
1/4 cup olive oil

TOPPING
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 slice firm whole wheat bread, cubed (1/2 cup)
3 fresh oregano sprigs (about 30 leaves) or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Trim the zucchini and cut it in half crosswise. Cut each half lengthwise into 4 slices.

Arrange alternating slices of the zucchini and tomato in a 12-by-9-by-2-inch gratin dish and pour the olive oil on top. (The gratin can be prepared to this point up to a day ahead, covered, and refrigerated.)

FOR THE TOPPING: Combine the cheese, bread, oregano, salt, and pepper in a mini-chop and process to crumbs. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the oil. Set aside.

At serving time, sprinkle the gratin with the topping. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and moist and the top is nicely brown.

Copyright © 2011 by Jacques Pépin.

Dutch Apple Pie

Dutch Apple Pie

In Amsterdam one day, we were desperate for a place to sit down and have a late lunch.  We had been on our feet all morning at the Van Gogh museum and walked for miles (it seemed) well into the afternoon and had gone past normal lunch hours.   Few restaurants were open ---- it's when you wonder why you do this to yourself, but vacations always look better in the rearview mirror.

Luckily, we found Zuivere Koffee .  Most coffee shops in Amsterdam are also places to smoke marijuana but this one was not and it had a charming, quiet garden courtyard in the back

The staff were ultra friendly and made delicious open face sandwiches and freshly brewed coffee for us.  Several locals came in for coffee and a piece of pie that looked like what I have made.

This Dutch Apple pie recipe was listed under "cakes with tea or coffee" not in the desserts section.  So I am presuming the Dutch have it during the day or afternoon, not after the evening meal.

The Dutch ride bikes everywhere, so they can eat sweets without worry, I suppose. 

The recipe called for something called "custard powder" so I had to look it up and discovered it is a common European ingredient.  Back in 1837, a guy named Bird invented it for his wife who had egg allergies.  It is basically cornstarch and vanilla flavoring.  And I was pleasantly surprised to find it in the European/International aisle at Wegman's.  It thickens the liquid from the apples and prevents a runny, watery pie. 

The pie crust is sweet  (caster sugar and an egg yolk are added to the butter and flour), then you press the dough into a springform cake pan..

As you can see from the photo, I really struggled with making the lattice for the dough --- I had to roll out that part --- but I chalk my failure up to being out of practice --- I haven't been really cooking or baking for several months now.  It still tasted great! 

I had to hunt for the Jona Gold apples --- but found them at a farm stand north of Watkins Glen --- and they were worth the hunt.  The apples remain firm, and aren't too tart. 

Another thing I like about the recipe is the orange-juice-infused raisins.  It's a simple addition but the citrus really brightens up the filling, and the raisins are tender --- they would be dried up and chewy if you didn't do this step.

Dutch Apple Pie
(from Dutch Cooking Today)

Serves 10

300 g/10 ounces flour plus extra
125 g/4 ounces white caster sugar (superfine)
salt
200 g/7 ounces chilled butter plus extra
1 egg yolk
100 g/3.5 ounces raisins
100 ml/3.5 fluid ounces orange juice
1 kg/2 pounds firm apples (Elstar, Jona Gold), peeled and sliced
2 T. custard powder (or 2 T. cornstarch and 1 t. vanilla)
2 t. cinnamon
2 T. sugar
3 T. apricot jam

In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar and a pinch of salt.  Dice the butter and mix into the flour.  Use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter into small pieces.  (As a shortcut, I grated my butter and tossed it together with the flour and salt.)

Add the egg yolk and knead everything together with cool hands.  (It doesn't look like it will come together but stick with kneading it, it will.)

Roll into a firm ball. 

Grease a 24 cm/10 inch cake tin with a removable bottom with butter (I used a 9 inch)

and do a better job than I did, and press 2/3 of the dough over the bottom and sides.  Refrigerate the tin and remaining dough until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 175 C/ 375 F.  Put the raisins and orange juice in a pan, bring to a boil and simmer until the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.

This is when I peeled and sliced the apples.  Combine with raisins, custard powder, cinnamon and sugar.

(Toss until all of the apples are evenly coated.)  Spread the filling over the pastry base.

Roll out the rest of the pastry and cut into 1 cm/1/2 strips.  I had a hard time.  My dough wasn't cold enough. 

Do a better job than I did, but arrange in a crisscross pattern on top of the apple mixture, pressing the pastry edges together.

Bake about 45 minutes

until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and

glaze with apricot jam.

Allow to cool in the cake tin for 10 minutes.

Remove from tin and serve.

Delicious!

B