Sächer Brownie Bars

The contrast between sweet apricot and dark chocolate makes this outstanding treat one of my all-time perennial favorites. Do not make this recipe if you live alone! These bars are just too tempting.

Sächer Brownie Bars:

¾ c. butter or margarine
3 squares (three 1-oz. or 28 g) unsweetened chocolate
1-½ c. granulated sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
1-¼ c. all-purpose flour
1-½ tsp. vanilla
¾ c. apricot jam
2 squares (two 1-oz. or 28 g) semi-sweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 325 deg. F. Melt butter and unsweetened chocolate in metal bowl positioned over saucepan of hot water. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Cool slightly. Add eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition. Add flour and vanilla, mixing well. 

Spread evenly in greased and floured parchment-lined 15x10-in. jelly roll pan. Bake 15-to-20 min. or until Brownies spring back when lightly touched. Do not over-bake. Cool in pan 10 min. Place rack/s over pan and turn upside-down to remove. Set aside.

Warm apricot jam over low heat until jam starts to liquefy. Strain through a sieve, gently pressing jam through sieve with the back of a spoon. Spread jam evenly over Brownie surface. 

Cut Brownies in half lengthwise, then crosswise, to make four rectangles. Stack two rectangles together, jam-side up. 

Using metal bowl method described above, partially melt semi-sweet chocolate over hot water. Remove from heat and continue stirring until completely melted. Drizzle evenly over Brownies while still warm. Cut into bars. To store, refrigerate in airtight container.

- This recipe was originally written by the then-manufacturers of Robin Hood flour and Bakers Chocolate

Tomorrow: It’s Super Bowl time! And with this weekend’s easy recipes, you’ll be right there on the line of scrimmage, ready for a crowd and ready to watch the game!

No-Bake Butterscotch Brownies with Butterscotch Glaze

These quick ’n’ easy Brownies are a wicked treat! Measure and array ingredients before starting: You’ll need to work quickly.

No-Bake Butterscotch Brownies with Butterscotch Glaze:

To Prepare Butterscotch Glaze: 

⅓ c. (80 mL) milk

2 c. (12 oz. or 350 g package) butterscotch chips

In large saucepan, warm milk on medium heat; don’t boil or scorch. Add butterscotch chips, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Set aside ½ c. (125 mL) melted butterscotch mixture for the glaze in this recipe, leaving remainder of butterscotch mixture in pot.

To Prepare Brownies:

¼ c. (60 mL) milk

2 c. (500 mL) graham wafer crumbs

1 c. (250 ml) chopped walnuts, lightly toasted in toaster oven or frying pan, cooled 

1 c. (250 mL) flaked coconut

½ c. (125 mL) icing sugar

¼ tsp. (1.25 mL) salt

Grease 9x9-in. (22.5x22.5 cm) baking pan. To reserved butterscotch mixture in saucepan, add milk and remaining ingredients, stirring well. Press evenly into pan. Spread warm glaze over top. Chill thoroughly before cutting into squares.

Double-Chocolate Mint Brownies

As a young home cook, I loved mint so much that I tinted almost all my baking green. When green cookies and green cakes failed to garner applause, my frostings began glowing like radioactive limes that tasted like toothpaste. While I still occasionally color frosting green, these Brownies don’t need it. They’re exactly perfect as they are. 

Double-Chocolate Mint Brownies:

2 c. (250 mL) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

½ c. (125 mL) margarine

½ c. (125 g) granulated sugar

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp. (5 mL) peppermint extract

¾ c. (180 mL) all-purpose flour

1 tsp. (5 mL) baking powder

¼  tsp. (1.25 mL) salt

½ c. (125 mL) chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 deg. F. Lightly grease 9x9-in. (22.5 x 22.5 cm) baking pan, lining bottom with parchment. 

In heat-proof metal bowl over hot water, melt 1 c. (250 mL) chocolate chips and margarine. Stir until fully melted. Remove from heat. Gradually beat in sugar until a little rubbed between thumb and index finger is barely grainy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in peppermint extract.

In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir flour mixture and walnuts into chocolate batter. Spoon and smooth into pan, spreading with remaining chocolate chips. Bake 25 min. Brownies are ready when toothpick poked into center comes out clean. Cool and cut into squares.

Kahlua Fudge Brownies

This treat has the chewy, fudgy, classic taste that appeals to Brownie lovers everywhere!

Kahlua Fudge Brownies:

1-½ c. all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
⅔ c. butter or margarine
1 square (1-oz. or 28 g) unsweetened chocolate
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 c. granulated sugar
¼ c. Kahlua or other chocolate-flavored liqueur 
¾ c. chopped walnuts
1 tbsp. Kahlua or other chocolate-flavored liqueur, as topping

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F.  Grease 9x9-in. baking pan, lining bottom with parchment paper. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt, combining well. Melt butter with chocolate over very low heat or in a metal bowl positioned inside a saucepan of hot water. Beat eggs with sugar until light. Stir in chocolate mixture and ¼ c. Kahlua. Add flour mixture, combining well. Stir in walnuts. Spoon into prepared pan, baking 30 min. or until top springs back when lightly touched at center and edges begin to pull away from pan. Do not over-bake. Remove from oven and cool in pan. When cool, brush top with 1 tbsp. Kahlua. Cool completely before cutting into bars. 

- With thanks to The Vancouver Sun

Tomorrow: Tuck your tongues back into your mouths, Dollinks! We’re making Double-Chocolate Mint Brownies!

Peanut Butter Brownies

These are irresistible! They keep well, so make sure you have a lock on your refrigerator. They’re perfect football fare for a crowd. Goodbye, tight ends!

Peanut Butter Brownies:

To Prepare the Batter:

¾ c. smooth peanut butter
2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten well
¼ c. whole milk
1 c. all-purpose flour

Preheat standard oven to 350 deg. F. Grease 9x9-in. baking pan. In microwave oven, melt peanut butter 1 min. on high power. Add sugar, eggs, and milk, mixing well. Gradually stir in flour until mixture is well combined. Spoon into pan. Bake 40 min. in standard oven. Cool. Frost with Peanut-Butter Swirl Topping.

To Prepare Peanut-Butter Swirl Topping:

Four squares (4 oz. or 113 g) semi-sweet chocolate
¾ c. smooth peanut butter, divided

Melt chocolate with ½ c. peanut butter (see Index for How to Melt Chocolate). Stir until smooth, spreading over cooled Brownies. Melt remaining peanut butter on low heat in microwave oven. Spoon over chocolate, swirling with knife. Chill to set.

- Modified from a recipe by Kraft Foods

Tomorrow: The name alone is magnificent - but just wait ’til you taste these Kahlua Fudge Brownies!

Mincemeat Brownies

Commercially bottled or canned mincemeat is generally available year-round, so preparing this excellent bar cookie is convenient at any time of year and at any time you feel like it.

Mincemeat Brownies:

½ c. butter or margarine, softened
1 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
½ c. mincemeat
1-½ squares (1-½ oz. or 45 g) unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled  (see Index for How to Melt Chocolate)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ c. chopped nuts
¼ c. all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. salt
Sifted icing sugar (“powdered” or “confectioners” sugar), as garnish

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. Grease 9x9-in. baking pan. Cream butter and sugar 5 min. or until no granular feeling remains when mixture is rubbed between thumb and index finger. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in mincemeat, melted chocolate, vanilla, and nuts. Add flour and salt, mixing well. Spoon into prepared pan. Bake 35-to-40 min.,until toothpick poked into center comes out dry. Cool thoroughly on rack. Dust with sifted icing sugar before slicing.

- Modified from a recipe by Nabob Foods

Tomorrow: One of my super-duper favorites, Peanut Butter Brownies! These are too, too good!

No-Bake Chocolate Brownies with Chocolate Glaze

These treats are very quick to prepare. No bake? No wait!

No-Bake Chocolate Brownies with Chocolate Glaze:

4 c. graham wafer crumbs
½ c. icing sugar (“powdered” or “confectioners” sugar)
1 c. chopped walnuts
2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Grease 9x9-in. pan. In large mixing bowl, combine crumbs, icing sugar, and walnuts, combining well. In a saucepan or microwave oven, slowly melt chocolate and milk (see Index for How to Melt Chocolate), stirring in vanilla. Measure and set aside ½ c. chocolate mixture as glaze. Working quickly, stir crumb mixture into remaining chocolate, mixing well. Spoon and smooth reserved chocolate over No-Bake Brownies in pan. Refrigerate to set. 

- Modified from a recipe by Kraft Foods

Tomorrow: Christmas leftovers? Try these excellent Mincemeat Brownies!

Cherry-Cheese Brownies

Chocolate and cherries score high on the “yum!” factor. Served with Chocolate Gelato (see the Index under Frozen Treats) this fabulous Brownie would be a hit at any dinner party or special occasion. 

Cherry-Cheese Brownies:

To Prepare the Brownie Batter:

¾ c. all-purpose flour
⅓ c. sifted cocoa
Dash of salt
½ c. butter or margarine, softened
1 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
2-to-3 tbsp. water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ c. chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325 deg. F. Grease an 8x8-in. baking pan. Dust with sifted cocoa and set aside. In mixing bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, and salt. Cream butter and sugar in separate bowl, beating until no granular texture remains. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Stir dry ingredients into creamed mixture, blending well. Add water and vanilla, mixing until smooth. Stir in nuts. Spoon and smooth ⅓ Brownie batter into prepared pan, reserving remaining mixture. Set aside.  

To Prepare the Cherry-Cheese Filling:

One 4-oz. (125 g) package brick-style cream cheese, softened
1 egg
½ c. granulated sugar
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
½ c. maraschino cherries, drained and blotted dry on paper toweling 

With electric mixture, beat together cream cheese and egg until light. While cheese is beating, combine sugar and flour in small bowl, gradually adding to cheese mixture. Quarter maraschino cherries, gently adding to cheese mixture. Do not over-stir. Spoon cheese mixture over Brownie batter in pan. Pour remaining Brownie batter over cheese mixture. Bake 30-to-35 min., until toothpick poked into center comes out dry. Cool thoroughly on rack before slicing. 

Tomorrow: Easy No-Bake Brownies with Chocolate Glaze.

Pumpkin Brownies

Canned, frozen, or fresh pumpkin work equally well in this recipe. To resist temptation, slice, wrap, and freeze the cooled Brownies as individual bars.

Pumpkin Brownies:

¾ c. all-purpose flour
¾ c. rolled oats
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ginger
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. mace
¼ c. butter, softened
½ c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 c. cooked pumpkin
½ tsp. vanilla
½ c. chopped walnuts
½ c. chopped dates

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F.  Grease an 8x8-in. baking pan. In mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and mace. In separate bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg, pumpkin, and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients, combining well. Stir in walnuts and dates. Spoon and smooth into prepared pan. Bake 25-to-30 min., until toothpick poked into center comes out dry. Cool thoroughly on rack before slicing. 

Tomorrow: Superbly decadent Cherry-Cheese Brownies!

Ronald Reagan’s Brownies

For the next 10 days, I’m shining the spotlight on Brownies - from old favorites to avant garde delights. Forgive me for not offering the usual photos with these previously tested recipes, but I would be a chunky monkey if I baked more than a week’s worth of Brownies! As this week marks US President Obama’s second-term inauguration, I’ll start the series by tipping my cap to a very likable American president. Rumour has it that he was thick and rich - just like these excellent Brownies!

Ronald Reagan’s Brownies:

To Prepare the Bottom Layer:

2-½ squares (2-½ oz. or 70 g) unsweetened chocolate 
½ c. unsalted butter
1 tsp. instant coffee
Dash of salt 
½ tsp. vanilla
1 c. granulated sugar
2 large eggs
½ c. all-purpose flour
1-½ c. chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. Lower oven rack to ⅓ from bottom position. Grease a 9x9-in. baking pan. Dust with sifted cocoa and set aside. In medium saucepan or microwave-safe container, partially melt chocolate with unsalted butter (See Index for How to Melt Chocolate). Stir until fully melted. Add instant coffee and salt. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, cooling slightly. 

Beat eggs well in small bowl. Stir in a little of the warm chocolate, combining well before returning to sweetened chocolate mixture. Stir in flour and walnuts. Spoon into prepared pan and set aside as you prepare the top layer.

To Prepare the Top Layer:

8 squares (8 oz. or 225 g) semi-sweet chocolate
½ c. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
½ c. whipping cream (heavy cream) 
Dash of salt
1 tsp. instant coffee
1 tsp. vanilla
4 egg yolks plus 1 whole egg

Melt chocolate and butter as above. Remove from heat, stirring in sugar, cream, salt, coffee, and vanilla. Beat eggs well in small bowl. Stir in a little of the warm chocolate, combining well before returning to sweetened chocolate mixture. Spoon and smooth over bottom layer. Bake 40-to-45 min., until toothpick poked into center comes out dry. Cool thoroughly on rack before slicing. 

Tomorrow: Nutritious and delicious Pumpkin Brownies.

Curried Lentils

Tired of the usual meat and two veg? The next time you consider a meatless meal, turn to high-protein, low-fat, and low-cost lentils. Combined with the right seasonings, lentils are satisfying and delicious. Our Anonymous Taste-Testing Panel (aka Ron and I) rated this dish “excellent.”

Curried Lentils:

1 c. lentils
3 c. poultry or vegetable stock 
2 large onions, chopped (divided)
1 tsp. garlic salt
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tbsp. curry powder
1 tsp. cumin
2 or 4 tsp. snipped parsley

Rinse lentils under running water. In a large saucepan, combine lentils, stock, half the chopped onion, and garlic salt. Bring just to a boil over medium-high heat and immediately reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, 30-to-40 min., or until lentils are tender. Drain and briefly set aside. Heat olive oil in medium skillet. Sauté remaining onion and garlic until soft and translucent, 7-to-10 min. Stir in drained lentil-and-onion mixture, curry powder, and cumin, cooking until heated through. Add parsley just before serving.

Water or stock? See the Index: How to Make Stock.

The bigger the better: Use 2 large onions.

Chop and sauté one onion with garlic in first part of recipe.

Cook onion, seasoning, and lentils. Parsley goes in last.

Starting tomorrow: An entire week of Brownie recipes, from the decadent to the unusual to the fudge-y fantastic!

Dark ’n’ Stormy

A few years ago, I lived next door to a glamorous, exotic, talented, and worldly woman who knew a little about a lot of things. One of the things Mairuth knew about was home-made ginger beer - she gave me her recipe, but I have yet to try it. Although ginger beer is commercially available and perfect for the recipe that follows, she used her home-made variety to prepare a drink as exotic as she was: A Dark ’n’ Stormy. She’d enjoyed this drink in places as far-flung as Bermuda and Papua New Guinea. And here’s how to make it!

Dark ’n’ Stormy:

One chilled highball glass 
1-½ oz. dark rum (see Note)
Ice, as desired
Ginger beer, to top off
½ a whole lime per glass

Measure rum into glass, adding ice cubes. Add ginger beer to an inch below top of glass. Halve a whole lime, popping it directly into glass. Add cocktail straw and serve. Yields 1.

Note: The traditional, Bermudian drink is made with Gosling’s Black Seal Rum. No one sells it in the Time Zone and at the Latitude where I live, so I use the darkest rum I can find. As the legend goes, the “storm” doesn’t subside until you finish the drink!

Easy Cheesy Pizza

Anonymous Taste Tester:
Yes, yes, yes!

Quick? Yes! Easy? Yes, yes! Can I use whatever I’ve got in the fridge? Yes, yes, yes! Can I make it for dinner tonight? Yes, yes, yes, yes! 

Packed with nutritional value, this penny-pinching pizza should take about 30 minutes from the moment you start to the moment it’s served. Dollinks, you’re going to love it! 

For more pizza recipes, see One Click: Pizza or Pizza: One Click.

Easy Cheesy Pizza:

To Prepare the Crust:

5 large eggs

½ c. all-purpose flour

1 tbsp. finely grated Parmesan cheese (see Note)

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. oregano

¼ tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. Beat above ingredients until frothy and well combined: I used a hand-blender. Pour into well-greased 12-in. (30 cm) pizza pan, baking 10 min. or until set. Remove egg crust from oven, adding toppings of your choice. The selections below are merely a guideline.

To Prepare the Toppings:

½ c. (125 mL) tomato sauce (see Further Note)

½ green bell pepper, finely chopped

1 or 2 large fresh mushrooms, finely sliced 

2 tbsp. (30 mL) finely chopped onions 

2 c. (500 mL) grated Mozzarella cheese

¼ c. (60 mL) finely grated Parmesan cheese

7-to-9 rounds spicy salami, sliced medium-fine

Raise heat to “broil,” leaving oven door slightly open. Brush crust with tomato sauce. Setting a small amount of Mozzarella aside, combine all ingredients except salami. Sprinkle combined ingredients evenly over tomato sauce. Dot with salami, sprinkling each piece with reserved Mozzarella. With oven rack in medium position, broil 5-to-7 min. or until cheeses melt and toppings are golden. Serve at once. Yields 4 large or 8 small slices.

Note: No need to use expensive Parmesan. I used a shake-on commercial variety.

Further Note: Overdoing it with the tomato sauce can make your crust soggy. The scant amount I recommend is appropriate for this size of crust. If your pizza pan isn’t as large as mine, use one less egg and slightly less of each ingredient. 

Use a 12-in. (30 cm pan), Dollinks! 

Combine crust ingredients well.

Pour into well-greased pan: Bake 10 min.

Brush tomato sauce lightly over baked crust.

.

Spoon topping ingredients over sauce.

Taste-test salami. Répétez ceci! Et encore!

Add 7-to-9 salami slices. Eat the rest.  

Broil. Yes, broil. Ready in no time flat!

Large or small, this is de-lish!

Mushrooms à la King

This inexpensive dish is a snap to prepare! Spoon it over frozen puff pastry shells as a quick but elegant lunch, or nap it over baked or fried chicken as an easy dinner that tastes like “more.” I really enjoy this traditional favorite!

Mushrooms à la King:

1 lb. sliced fresh mushrooms (about 5 c., lightly packed)
2 tbsp. chopped onion
3 tbsp. butter or margarine
One 10-oz. (284 mL) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
½ c. milk
One 10-oz. (284 mL) can consommé or beef broth (1-¼ c., if using home-made broth)
3 tbsp. chopped pimiento
3 tbsp. dry sherry

In large skillet over medium heat, sauté mushroom caps, stems, and onion until tender, about 3 min. Stir in remaining ingredients until mixture comes to a boil. Serve over puff pastry shells or chicken.

Sauté mushroom caps, stems, and chopped onions
before adding soup, broth, and sherry

Three-Ingredient Mac ’n’ Cheese

Whoo-hoo! Three ingredients? And quick? And delicious? Purists will snub their noses at this recipe, but I’m in foodie heaven! This great little dish is one of the easiest main courses you can make. Even Mr. Macho (stumbling around his unused kitchen in a football helmet, aftershave, and not a whole lot more) will feel a sense of accomplishment as he successfully prepares what I feel is the best macaroni and cheese ever!

Three-Ingredient Mac ’n’ Cheese:

3 c. elbow macaroni, uncooked
10-oz. (284 mL) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 c. sharp grated cheddar, divided, or packaged shredded cheese mix (see Note)

Preheat oven to 400 deg. F. Add macaroni to large pot of boiling, lightly salted water. Cook 10-to-12 min., or until al dente (tender “to the tooth”). While pasta cooks, spoon condensed soup into 2 qt. (2 L) spray-greased casserole dish, baking 12-to-15 min. or until bubbly. Stir 1-¾ c. cheddar into hot soup, stirring until melted. Drain pasta, adding to cheese sauce in baking dish. Bake, lightly covered with foil, 20-to-25 min.

Note: I added a fourth ingredient - Nicole’s Special Croutons - but you certainly don’t have to. I crushed about a dozen croutons coarsely, combined them with ¼ c. grated cheese, and sprinkled them over the casserole. You’ll find my croutons indexed under Bread. If you decide not to use croutons, reduce total amount of cheese to 1-¾ c.

The effect was excellent, Dude (this for the guy in the football helmet, wondering which take-out menu to have tonight). 

Just three ingredients: 1/ Macaroni 

2/ Cream of mushroom soup

3/ Grated cheese

Et voilà!

Ron’s Apple Pie

At certain times of the year, a large supermarket chain in the Time Zone and at the Latitude Where I Live sells irregularly shaped tarts filled with lemon, raspberry, and perhaps some sort of custard. Although many bakeries sell filled tarts, the appeal of these particular tarts lies in their imperfect shape: They look hand-filled - not machine-made. 

Many years ago, the kids of my generation felt that the best baking was “store-bought” because families needed a certain income level or “status” to buy it, whatever “it” was. As we grew older and more savvy, we prized goods that were “home-made” because someone needed to be home to make them, and that needed a certain income level or “status” to achieve. North Americans are now trending to paying someone to prepare the specialized look and taste of “home-made” because we lack the time, energy, and often the skill to do it ourselves. 

I think the tarts in question fit into the latter category: Because they look and taste “home-made,” they convey a certain “status” on the person who buys and serves them. Lemon, raspberry, and custard also just happen to be a dynamite combination!

The Life of Pie: Lyndsay and Sydney

A short while ago, Ron made a traditional, man-sized apple pie. Ron isn’t the fussy type: He slapped down some pastry and was done with it, super-fast. If his pastry has fluted edges, or fancy pastry cut-outs of little leaves and twigs, I’m the one who adds those finishing touches. Ron’s pies are often imperfectly shaped, looking and tasting like “home.” And that’s why everybody loves them.

Ron’s Apple Pie:

To Prepare the Pastry:

Consult the Index under Pies: Pastry (Double-Crust). Ron’s 12-in. pie required enough pastry for 1-½-to-2 Double-Crust pastry recipes. For a standard-sized Apple Pie in an 8- or 9-in. pie pan, make enough pastry for just one Double-Crust Pie (as the ingredients and method for this recipe direct) and halve the amount of filling Ron used for his oversized pie. No matter what size pie you make, line pan with thinly rolled pastry, allowing ¾-in. overhang. Set remaining pastry aside until required for top crust.

To Prepare the Filling:

14-to-16 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced (see Note)
2 tbsp. (30 mL) lemon juice
1-¼ c. (310 mL) sugar
2 tsp. (10 mL) cinnamon
¼ c. (60 mL) all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. (30 mL) butter
Yolk of 1 egg
½ tsp. (2.5 mL) milk

Preheat oven to 425 deg. F. In large bowl, toss sliced apples with lemon juice. In a medium bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, and flour, mixing well. Add to apples, mixing until slices are evenly coated. Heap apples generously into pastry-lined pan. Dot with butter. 

Roll top crust as pastry recipe directs, sliding pastry over apple filling and allowing ¾-in. (19 mm) overhang. Trim, double over, and flute pastry as recipe directs. Slash crust in several places to prevent air bubbles from forming under pastry.

Combine egg yolk and milk in small bowl, brushing lightly over pastry. Place pie in deep freeze for 10-to-15 min. to harden fluted pastry edge. Transfer to oven, baking 10 min. to brown lightly. Reduce heat to 350 deg. F. Bake 45-to-50 min. until apples bubble through vents in top crust and crust appears golden. Serve warm or chilled. Yields one over-sized pie with 8-to-10 large slices.

14-to-16 medium-sized apples should do it!

Peel, core, slice, and toss with lemon juice

Combine apple slices with cinnamon-sugar 

Heap sweetened, spiced apples into bottom pastry layer

Roll out pastry for top crust

High-flutin’ pastry holds in the apples’ goodness!

Brush with yolk and milk.  Freeze briefly before baking