Easy and decorative spring time apple pie.
Hi folks.
Welcome to the new series!
It's going to be so much fun!
I am so excited to show it to you!
Otherwise why would I be so excited!
And use all these exclamation points!!!
You all know I love sharing the love with other bloggers. I do a weekly series called Lunatic Loves These Links where I pick things that catch my eye every week. I bookmark a ton of recipes. Yet I realized I don't make other blogger's recipes a whole lot. So this got me to thinking, which you all know is some dangerous stuff. I realized I want to continue sharing the love so I decided to start a new series. It will highlight one blog each week, and I will make something of theirs that I bookmarked. Me being ,well... me, that was not enough. So I decided to start doing some fun interviews. Think Barbara Walters but with more silliness and lots of exclamation points!!! Cuz they are just good fun!!! Am I right or am I right! See you are excited now too right! The exclamation points are luring you in and making you all weak with anticipation. The power of the !!!
So here's the deal.
The down low.
The name of the new series is...
wait for it....
ready....
set...
BURNING DOWN THE KITCHEN WITH ______________!!!
Okay so it's kitchy, I am nothing if not kitchy. It will have what I like to call rapidfire questions with the blogger as well. Just silly questions that we all want to know the answers to. Or at least I do. Cuz that's just how my mind works. So every Tuesday you will see a new blog highlighted here with an interview and some other fun things as well. As it grows I am hoping people are willing to play along. I also hope the readers enjoy it.
Now without further annoying *!!!* and ramblings I give you the very first in what will hopefully be a wildly successful series. Enjoy!!!
BURNING DOWN THE KITCHEN WITH FAMILY FEEDBAG
Amy Bronee runs the blog Family Feedbag. She is a pie genius. I am not even kidding. Pure genius. She makes the most beautiful and creative pies I've ever seen. Designs go on top and things get cut out of the crust. She never fails to impress me with her pie skills. Amy has a wide variety of recipes on her blog. This lady does more than pie. Everything she makes is perfection from soup to cookies to chicken to pasta and everything in between.
I contacted Amy to see if she would be okay with me making one of her pies and then posting about it. She was super sweet. This lady is a gem. She answered all my questions and was patient when I had to reschedule due to new blog hiccups. Thank you Amy for playing along and letting me feature your blog this week.
Rapidfire Q & A with Amy Bronee of Family Feedbag:
1. How did you get started blogging?
I had some friends who were blogging and it seemed like something I could do from home while caring for my kids that satisfied my need to be constantly creative. I wrote my first post when my youngest son was six weeks old and I can't seem to quit.
2. Favorite thing about it?
Being adventurous and creative with new ingredients and techniques. That's really exciting to me.
3. Least favorite thing about it?
Feeling guilty if I'm not posting as often as I'd like. I think most bloggers can relate to that!
4. Favorite food?
So hard to choose! Anything with cheese.
5. Least favorite food?
Pickled fish. I don't get it.
6. Your best dish?
Seared pork chops with rosemary mushroom sauce. Oh, and apple pie.
7. Your worst kitchen mishap?
A roast that took three times as long to cook as it should have.
8. Favorite place to shop?
Pike Place Market in Seattle, WA, The Root Cellar in Saanich, B.C. and The Old Country Market in Coombs, B.C.
9. Fave place to eat?
Fish and chips down on the dock.
10. Nutella or biscoff?
Nutella.
11. Chocolate or peanut butter?
Both. Together.
12. Mashed potatoes or french fries?
I'm gonna have to say fries.
13. Soup or salad?
Salad. I think?
14. White bread or whole wheat?
Depends. Whole wheat for most things, but I like white pizza dough.
15. Coke or Pepsi?
Diet Pepsi.
16. If you could cook with one famous person who would it be?
Jamie Oliver. We'd make an incredible slow-cooked meal and sit around a big rustic wooden table with both our families and laugh until our bellies hurt.
17. If you could take one kitchen item to a deserted island what would it be?
A wooden spoon because it would make a good paddle.
18. Apron or no apron?
Apron.
19. Messy or tidy kitchen while you work?
Messy.
20. Where do you see yourself 5 years from now? Is blogging still in the picture?
I'd love to still be creating with food and food photography. I'd also love to be connecting with home cooks in other ways, such as teaching cooking classes (which I'm starting at a local cooking school this March!) and, gulp, maybe a book?
Amy's beautiful collection of pies on her blog!
Amy's Springtime Pie, it's so gorgeous!
My version of Amy's pie, after it's cooked. Not bad. One petal is slightly off kilter.
Yup so Amy's looks way better than mine. I am so happy with the way my turned out though. I have to tell you pie crust is my nemesis. It's is my kryptonite. It can reduce me to tears in a hurry. I make a killer good pie but I'll admit they never look this pretty. I have a LONG way to go to reach Amy's pie making skills but I am determined to master pie dough if it takes me a lifetime.
Ingredients
- Ingredients for pastry:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
- ¼ tsp vanilla salt
- ½ cup vegetable shortening cubed
- ½ cup cold butter cubed
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 2 tbsp cold water
- Ingredients for the filling:
- 6 Granny Smith apples peeled, sliced and cut into chunks
- ⅓ cup vanilla sugar
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- Ingredients for the finishing:
- food colouring
- splash whole milk
- I used crystal sugar Amy used granulated white sugar, Amy's is a better way to go
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F).
- Pastry instructions:
- Combine flour, icing sugar and vanilla salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Now cut in shortening and butter into the bowl with a hand pastry blender until it looks like coarse crumbs.
- In a separate small bowl beat the egg, vinegar and water.
- Add this egg mixture to the flour mixture and blend with a fork until it starts to come together.
- Divide dough into two balls.
- Set one in fridge while working on the other.
- Roll first one out one a floured surface and then put in a greased or sprayed pie plate. Tuck the edges under.
- Roll out your second so it's ready to place over top when filling is finished.
- Directions for the filling:
- Place peeled and cut up apples in a bowl.
- Combine them with the vanilla sugar, flour and cinnamon. Mix well to coat.
- Pour into prepared pie plate.
- Directions to finishing touches:
- Place your second piece of dough over top your pie plate once the filling is inside.
- Cut off the excess and set aside for flowers and leaves.
- Finish your edges any way you like. You can pinch them or use a fork to seal the edges.
- Make slits going up like flower stems. I did three as the original recipe did.
- Now with the excess you want to divide into four pieces and pop them each in a small bowl.
- Add red food colouring to one and mix.
- Add green food colouring to one and mix.
- Add yellow food colouring to one and mix.
- Add blue food colouring to one and mix.
- Now you begin to form your flowers and petals.
- You make the leaves by pressing the dough into small diamond shapes and then cut little slits to make it look like leaves. Press these onto the crust going up the slit stems.
- Now make your petals by forming balls and then flattening them out. Use your finger to shape them almost like teardrops. Press them onto the crust and make little slits down the center for detail.
- Brush pie gently with milk and then sprinkle on some sugar.
- Place pie in the oven and cook for only 10 minutes on 425. Then turn down to 325 for another 45 to 50 minutes.
Notes
Source: Family Feedbag Springtime Apple Pie and Fall Apple Pie
I would like to thank Amy from Family Feedbag for letting me feature her today on Cravings on a Lunatic. It was a pleasure and honour to work with another Canuck. Amy is located in the province of British Columbia which I have a fondness for as my sister lives there. I encourage everyone to check out Amy's site. This lady is a Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Winner. She also teaches cooking classes at Hayes The London Chef. Amy also just celebrated her 1 year Blogiversary so make sure you stop by and congratulate her on that. She can be found on twitter, pinterest and facebook. Thank you so much Amy and continued success in the future. I am certain there is a cookbook in your future and will be first in line for an autographed copy.
Thanks to everyone who stopped by to read this today. It still amazes me that you all take time out of your busy schedules to read my blog. So thank you from the bottom of my heart. It means so much to me. I hope you can feel how much I enjoy what I do when you read it. If you have not signed up to receive updates by email or RSS please hop back up to the top of the blog to follow your one and only Lunatic. It would make me super de douper happy!!!
Ann
Kim - I'm lovin' this series! What a fun blogger and recipe and the questions are awesome! I'm SO glad you created this series and your pictures are totally groovy! Toodles and Smooches indeed...you set the kitchen ON FIRE, Girlfriend!!
Kim Bee
Thanks so much Ann. I am so pleased this is being received so well. I am quite proud of this one. Thanks for your support. xx
Marina@cowboycountryvegetarian
Wow, those pies are beautiful and delicious! Kim, thank you for starting BURNING DOWN THE KITCHEN WITH... series. I'll be looking forward to see more interesting people-bloggers here with their stories and your wonderful Lunatic comments! Well done!
Kim Bee
Thanks Marina.I think this series is going to be a ton of fun. Thanks for being so supportive.
Lynds @ Vanilla Clouds and Lemon Drops
What a great start to a fantastic new series!! (double exclamation marks!) I'm really going to look forward to this every Tuesday : )
Kim Bee
Thanks so much. I am really going to have some fun with this one!!! lol
Sydney Jones
This is a wonderful idea Kim 🙂 your pie looks delish 🙂
Kim Bee
Thank you so much. xx
Ramona
Wow.. these are some amazing pies!! I have never seen anything like this done.. really wonderful! I loved reading the rapid question/answer segment. 🙂
Kim Bee
Thanks Ramona. I really enjoyed doing this one. Tons of fun to find out more about Amy. And pie is never a bad way to end or start a day.
Amy B
You did such an amazing job on your pie! I am thrilled and completely honoured you chose me as your first feature blogger in your new series. The questions were really fun to answer. Thanks again, and I look forward to following the series! Happy pie making!
Kim Bee
Aw, thanks so much Amy. I made some notes on how to make the next one look more like yours. I am determined to master pie crust. I am so honoured you agreed to do this. It's a silly take on interviewing but it's how I roll. I am so glad you had a good time. I really want to try your fall pie next. That one is so gorgeous. You have a natural talent that you should be really proud of. xx
cooking lady
Wow Kim all the pies look terrific. I'm really not a baker at all I just dabble in it. But it seems as though you had a lot of fun making them and that's what counts. Keep having fun!
Kim Bee
I had a ball. I really try not to stress out in the kitchen. Even mini-me helped with this one. So much fun.
Meghan
Love the new series, the title, and the first post! Springtime pie is so pretty! It's all pinkalicious over here! Love it 🙂
Kim Bee
Thanks so much Meghan. I really am enjoying this blog more than I ever thought possible. I love me some pink!!!
Anita at Hungry Couple
Fun new series, Kim, and the pies look amazing. Yes, your pie too 🙂 Oops, wrong punctuation. I meant !!!
Kim Bee
Lol thanks Anita. I sure had fun making it. And it tastes seriously yummy.
Kristen
I have got to send my mother to that site. Mom considers herself to be a pie queen (though she'd just about go apoplectic if she knew I was saying that) (see how comfy I feel visiting you? Telling all the family secrets like this?) Mom's never thought to color her dough before...those pies are gorgeous, I mean wowzer!
Kim Bee
Thanks Kristen. I was stunned when I saw Amy's pies last fall. I knew I had to try them. So happy I did. Your mom is gonna flip her wig. Not that I'm implying she wears one or anything. *foot in mouth disease*
Lacy @ NYCityEats
Love this idea! And what a great first blogger to start with! These pies are amazing! And so is yours, love this. I absolutely have to try one of these adorable pies this summer. It'll be a hit.
Kim Bee
Thanks so much Lacy. They sure are great pies. I was stunned how easy it was to make this dough. It turned out really good. I am so pleased Amy agreed to let me feature her. She is incredibly talented and I am honoured to have her today.
Annie Oakley's Kitchen
What a great idea for a series! It's fun to get to learn more about our favorite bloggers and be introduced to new ones!
Kim Bee
Thank you so much. I plan on having a blast with this series.
Kelsey @ K&K Test Kitchen
Your pie looks great Kim! I'm excited for this series, your interview with Amy was so fun!
Kim Bee
Thanks Kels. I think this is a keeper. Sure was a ton of fun.
Emily @ Life on Food
Great new series and first post. Those pies are amazing! I cannot see who else you come up with.
Kim Bee
Thanks Emily! I plan on finding some diverse talent to feature. Should prove to be a ton of fun.
Jessica | Oh Cake
I love this! What a fun interview and the pies are gor-ge-ous!!! (Lots of exclamation points!!!) 😀
Kim Bee
Aw thanks. I am always happy when people use !!!!
The Mom Chef ~ Taking on Magazines One Recipe at a Time
How fun is that pie! And you've introduced me to a new blogger (I'll be headed her way as soon as I'm done here), many thanks! Seriously, you did a great job. Pie crust is one of the few baked items I don't have a problem with but I don't think I'd attempt those flowers in public. Yours looks awesome.
Kim Bee
You are most welcome. I really enjoyed doing this. Tons of fun. I seem to have struggled with pie crust for so long. I am finally getting the hang of it. Thanks to Amy. So happy I got to do this.
Terra
What a fun idea, I love it! This pie is simply gorgeous:-) Take care, Terra
Kim Bee
Thanks Terra. I am so happy you stopped by.
Christine
The new series is a great idea. Looking forward to it. Beautiful pie.
Kim Bee
Thanks so much Christine.
Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love.
Love Love LOVE this! What a great new feature and I have seen those pies before and they are just gorgeous (my fave is the tree!). Yours came out great too!
Kim Bee
That's my fave too. I wanted to do this back in fall but had to put it off due to life stuff. So happy I got to do it now. Amy is super talented. I am so thrilled she agreed to do this for me.
Alyssa
You were right, Kim! Great new series!!! Amy, your pies are so pretty! And Kim, you did a great job re rearing them. Thanks for introducing me to a new blog!
Kim Bee
Thanks so much Alyssa. I am so thrilled with how mine turned out. I am sure to get better now. Finally a pie I can make and it's pretty. Thanks so much for stopping by.