Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate

Let's face it...is there anything better than chocolate?  Milky, creamy, melt in your mouth chocolate?  Some lucky students got to taste the signature blend of chocolate from the incredible Shannon Allit of Berrylicious Bouquets.  She wowed the crowd with some chocolate techniques and tricks. The ladies made delicious chocolate pops, as well as dipped berries in chocolate and then got to create their own unique chocolate bark.  It was definitely a delicious night...and we hope Shannon joins us again for more of her fabulous Chocolate.....Shannon's Berrylicious Bouquets can be found here:  Berrylicious Bouquets.

APPLE PICKING SEASON....MEANS DELICIOUS APPLE HAND PIES!!!!

There's a crisp smell of Fall in the air....Autumn is upon us--and that means everything pumpkin spice, changing colored leaves, crisp cool mornings....and apple picking!!!!  And when you go apple picking--there's no better time than to whip up some hand pies.  It doesn't matter if you "pick" your apples from an orchard or a grocery store...the apples are ripe and just perfect.  We recently had a wonderful time making handpies with some fabulous students at Cook n Craft Academy.  We also made some homemade caramel to go along with it.  

Now when you make apple hand pies or any pie for that matter...the secret is to make it cold and bake it hot....so keep everything extra cold when starting and when you're ready to bake make sure your oven is hot and ready to go.

pie dough

2 cups flour (measure carefully, do not pack!)

1/2 cup unsalted butter (4 oz)

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

6 tbsp ice water

Place ingredients in a Cuisinart and pulse together til crumbly yet sticks together when pinched.  (you may not need as much water or you may a little more)  If you don't have a Cuisinart...use a pastry blender. 

place onto parchment paper, form a  disk and allow to chill (about 30 minutes)

For the apple filling:

2 tbsp butter, diced

2 or 3 green or red apples

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon flour

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, or to taste

egg wash (1 egg beaten with 2 tsp cream)

granulated sugar as needed

Peel apples and dice them into 1/4 or 1/2 inch pieces.  Place them in a medium bowl.  Add butter, salt, white sugar, flour, cinnamon.  Stir together.

Roll out pastry dough--cut out a 5 ot 6 inch circle.  place a heaping apple pie filling in center.  Fold pie round  and crimp closed. place 3 slits in center for air to escape.  Add egg wash and some granulated sugar.  Place into preheated 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until apple hand pie begins turning golden brown. 

CARAMEL SAUCE:

Ingredients

• 1 packed cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 4 tablespoons butter
• Pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Mix the sugar, cream, butter and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook while whisking gently for 5 to 7 minutes, until it gets thicker. Add the vanilla and cook another minute to thicken further. Turn off the heat, cool slightly and pour the sauce into a jar.