Pie Slam Profiles: Fig, Apple, and Walnut Pie by Aharona Ament

CakeSpy Note: This is part of a series of Pie Slam Profiles, featuring the recipes and stories of each of the 9 entrants in last week's Pi(e) Day Pie Slam! This entry came from Aharona Ament, a recent Chicago transplant to Seattle, who has the sweetest smile in the world, is a very good story-teller, and makes a mean pie (making her a big winner, in this spy's book).

Here's her story:

Fig by Aharona Ament

Arthur Wendell “Fig” Newton,was born on March 14th at almost two in the morning, 1:59 to be percise.  His parents, both math teachers, were very happy to have thier son born on such a special day, Pi day! They dreamed that their son would grow up in their footsteps to torment confused adolecents with numonics about dear Aunt Sally and cosines laws that could get you arrested in some states. 

No one in Fig’s class knew that he was a desendent of Issac Newton and that an apple falling on top of a math equastion was part of his family’s coat of arms. Maybe if they knew that, they wouldn’t have given him the nickname of “Fig”, mocking both his heritage, and the fruit and cake concoction.

Fig, liked that he was born on Pi day, but favored the word of a different varerity. P-I-E! Fig spent most of his time in the kitchen. While his parents toiled away at number sequenices imported all the way from Italy, Fig was working at making the perfect pastry crusts with imported Danish butter.

Fig’s baking talents grew and grew. His ability to figure out fractions improved one whole half because of his love for making treats. He could double, triple and even quadruple recipes without the aid of a calulator or counting on his fingers. He knew that 2/3 cup = 1/2 cup plus 2-2/3 tablespoons and that 5/8 cup = 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons and he even knew that 7/8 cup=3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons. There wasn’t a numurator or demoninator that Fig couldn’t place perfectly in line and all of his cakes, pies, lemon bars, quiches, cupcakes, brownies, breads, muffins, croissants, tarts, paczkis and danishes came perfectly out of the oven, tasty, sweet and bursting with symmetrical sweetness.

When Fig decided that he wanted to be a famous pastry chef instead of a famous mathamatician, his parents, fat from miscalculations over caloric intake were upset. (yes, that extra piece of triple chocolate fudge goo cake cut in a perfect 45 degree angle of 250 calories will result in one pound or 3, 500 calories gained per week. Especially if it was so good that you ate two.)

“How can you not do real math problems all day?” his mother asked him? “You know, with a pencil and piece of paper and lots of head scratching”?  Fig’s father was a bit more upset. “ Baking pies for a living is as irrational as pi itself, because its value cannot be expressed exactly as a fraction! Fig’s father growled confusing pastry with the mathematical constant and making no logical sense whatsoever.

No, said Fig. I like to bake pies and treats, you like to do math. There is nothing wrong with either.

But they suddenly realized that Fig’s baking talents were also his gift with numbers. How else could they explain the ongoing assembly line of mathmatically perfect confections coming out of the kitchen and in to their mouths? They were so excited that they joined him in the kitchen to learn math problems with flour, sugar and butter, but couldn’t figure out how to work the flour sifter.  Fig sent them off to see if they could figure out the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter with a whole number. He knew that that would make them hungry, so he started to prepare a perfect treat.

Here's the recipe:

 For the Crust

• 12 tablespoons cold salted butter
• 1 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable shortening
• a few tablespoons ice water (about 1/2 cup)
• Egg (for brushing) 

For the filling

• 3-4 apples
• 1 cup of walnuts
• 2 cups figs
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

Procedure 

1. Make the crust: Mix dry ingredients together. Cut up butter into cubes and add along with vegetable shortening and mix in mixer.
2. Add water slowly and pulse mixer until dough forms a ball. Wrap in wax paper and chill.  
3. Meanwhile, prepare filling. Cup up apples and mix in walnuts, figs and sugar in a bowl.
4. Roll out dough and fill pie pan. There will be enough to make a top layer Add mixture. Brush pastry with beaten egg.
5. Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees F. Yay!

Sweetness by the Bay: Cake Gumshoe Charlotte's San Francisco Picks

CakeSpy Note: My readers are totally sweet. Case in point: Cake Gumshoe Charlotte, who recently took a holiday to San Francisco and was kind enough to report on some of her sweet finds!

Just returned from San Francisco, fully loaded with sweetness. Walgreen's had big bags of M&M's 2 for 4 dollars!

I also got to sample some totally sweet treats. During a rainy walk through Telegraph Hill and into North Beach I came across this Italian French Baking Company--that's what it was called. The Nonna working the counter was on two phones getting the low down on the previous night's events and there were two older gentlemen on stools in the window, this place had a very local feel. I was there in the afternoon, so a lot of their sweet treats were sold out. I was really hoping for an almond croissant but was informed that I was too late for those. Must be a hot item.

I picked up an Almond Lemon scone, which I had for breakfast the next day. Delicious, perfect balance of the two flavours.

The next morning I walked down Market Street to the Ferry Building. I had it on good authority that I would find stalls and vendors with 'artisanal baked goods'. And I did. There was a lot to choose from but when I saw Pebbles Donuts my mind was made up.

Super friendly service from the vendor, who was not one of the bakers. She told me there are two bakers, sounded secretive. I chose a Meyer Lemon for my man, and the cinnamon sugar because the vendor said it was her favorite. They were delicious. Soft and moist, not a bit greasy at all. Yum!

That afternoon I went to the SF MOMA and when it was time for a sit down break I headed to the 5th floor cafe and found Humphrey Slocombe! They didn't have a choice of flavours, but an art inspired desert based on a work by Tony Cragg. One scoop of blood orange, one scoop of malted milk and a sugar cone. The blood orange had a bit of a salty taste to it with subtle orange flavour and the malted milk was amazing!! Just like a Malteaser, (or a whopper in the U.S.). So yummy!

Sounds like a sweet adventure!

Places mentioned:

Italian French Baking Company

Pebbles Donuts

Humphrey Slocombe

Devilishly Delicious: Deviled Cadbury Creme Eggs Recipe for Serious Eats

It's the most wonderful time of year, when Cadbury Creme Eggs proliferate in food and drug stores, like sweet little sugarbombs just waiting to be hatched in your mouth.

Last year, I employed these sweet treats to create a masterpiece called Cadbury Creme Eggs Benedict.This year, here's another classic (savory) egg dish reinterpreted in sweet form using these fondant-filled nuggets of joy: Cadbury Creme Deviled Eggs. Extremely easy to make and very sweet to eat, these are a sure-fire way to kick off Easter Candy season in style.

Note: To ensure that your "yolks" aren't runny, chill your Creme Eggs for about an hour before slicing them in half. This will ensure that the filling doesn't run all over.

For the full entry and recipe, visit Serious Eats!

Best Giveaway Ever: Win a Copy of Big Little Felt Universe AND a Handmade Felt Cake by Jeannette Lim

Dudes. Dudettes. You know that I don't like to speak in absolutes (yes I do) but...this is, without a doubt, the biggest, best, awesomest giveaway ever.

Here's the deal. Indie crafter/Etsy artist, Jeanette Lim has just come out with a new book entitled Big Little Felt Universe: Sew It, Stuff It, Squeeze It, Fun! --which I learned about thanks to my friends at Lark Crafts. BLFU features over 70 fun stitched-felt projects—including food items, desserts, and interactive play kits.

And you can win a copy--awesome, right? But wait, there's more: The author, Jeanette, handmade the cake shown at the top of this post for the book, and she donated it for this special giveaway on CakeSpy!!! As you can see, it’s a vanilla cake with eight different kinds of fruit topping, and it comes with candles that stand up via magnets, a serving plate, spatula, and a cake box with a ribbon (not shown) -- all made out of felt!

I know, I know: you want to win this. But how to enter?

It's easy. All you have to do is leave a comment below telling me what kind of cake you're going to have for your birthday this year. I can be a cake you're sure you'll have, or just the dream cake--fantasy allowed.

But--since I'm not above coercing you to like me, I'll enter you in the running TWICE if you "Like" me (CakeSpy) on Facebook. Yeah, you heard me. Do it. 

Giveaway will close on Tuesday, March 29 at noon PST!

Update on Thursday, March 31, 2011 by Cakespy

We have a winner! It's Amy, who doubled her chances by Liking CakeSpy on Facebook!

As for her cake? "I'm planning on hinting at my husband to get me the White Chocolate Strawberry cake from Simply Desserts in Fremont. SO yummy. It will be my 30th, so I deserve it ". 

Wait, Simply Desserts?!? That means Amy is a local! Booyea!

Pie Slam Profiles: Apple Pie Recipe and Story by Max Snyder

CakeSpy Note: This is part of a series of Pie Slam Profiles, featuring the recipes and stories of each of the 9 entrants in last week's Pi(e) Day Pie Slam! This entry, for an extremely tasty apple pie (which was helpfully labeled "PIE" in case you were in doubt as to what it was) was submitted by cute-as-can-be Seattle University student Max Snyder. Here's his story, followed by his recipe:

 "When Baking In A College Dorm" - A parable by Max Snyder

I hear you like pie, and that's why you came;
It is quite understandable; there isn't any shame.
But before you take a slice, a morsel, a bite;
I'll tell you this pie's story of what occurred on that fateful night.

Dark, cold, and pouring down rain;
The Seattle skies threw a downpour upon the window pane.
Thunder cracked and raindrops fell;
The puddles and ponds began to swell.

Whilst inside, bustling like bank clerk;
The baker was busy at his work.
With the heat of the oven to fend off the frigid cold,
A pie dough was slowly being rolled.

Apples, cinnamon, and a pinch of the secret spice;
Only the best ingredients would suffice.
All chopped up and ready to go,
Dough and filling created an ideal tableaux.

With this pie he would enter the pastry contest;
Just to see how his apple confection compared to all the rest.

Pie into the oven - preheated just right,
Little did the baker know what would happen that night.
For the baker’s kitchen was very different from the norm;
He was baking in a college dorm.

“What’s all this mess,” his RA inquires;
When really, its his pie that his RA desires.
Next comes the weird guy from a couple of doors down;
Who hangs out on the couch in just his night gown.

A few jocks and bros soon arrive;
Throwing out “yo’s!” and lots of high fives.
And then, despite their mutual dislike;
The art kids arrive like they just finished a hunger strike.

The small college kitchen fills more and more;
When the baker has to tell them to all go to the door.
“This pie’s not for you!” he yelled over the grumbles and protests;
“But where will we get our pie?” ask the quite girl in the polka-dot dress.

At this moment the baker had a change of heart;
He was baking a pie, he didn’t want to be a tart.
“You’re right!” he exclaimed;
“Pies are meant to be shared, not to be framed”

Thus everyone had a slice because it was terribly good;
And the baker made another pie just because he could.

Max's Apple Pie

Crust

• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon flour
• a wee bit of salt
• 1 cup of shortening
• some butter (depending on your mood)
• 3 tablespoons of water
• 3 tablespoons of vodka

Filling

• 3/4 cup sugar; brown is usually better
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 6 cups thinly sliced apples (thinner and smaller apple pieces are better)
• 2 tablespoons butter

Procedure

1. Cut in all of the crust ingredients into the flour except the water and vodka. Alternate adding tablespoons of vodka and water and mixing between each. Stop adding liquid when it becomes moist. Split into two balls, one slightly larger and one smaller. Try and fit it into your tiny college fridge for about 20 minutes.
2. Mix filling together. Well that was simple.
3. Roll out crust. Don't fear, just take is slowly.
4. Put the bottom crust in the pie dish and fill with the filling. Cover with the upper crust. Fork the edges and cut vents in the top. Remove excess crust. Maybe put a visual pun on top.
5. Put in oven preheated to 425°F. Surround with a ring of foil to prevent the crust from browning to quickly. Remove the foil for the last 15 minutes. Bake for 40-50 minutes.
6. Most important step: Allow to cool by an open window. By subjecting your pie to this treatment, it gains local flavor from the outside air.

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links

Happy Friday! Have a totally sweet weekend, starting with these links:

Rain, sleet, snow, or sun--it's always the right weather for Sour Cream Coffee Cake.

Sweet obsession: I am officially obsessed with the cookbook Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe by Joanne Chang, owner of the Boston bakery by the same name.

Sweetness up north: I am going to Vancouver soon, and plan on having 50 even greater experiences. Any suggestions?

Pie in the Sky? High 5 Pie Speaks up about that infamous Seattle Weekly article.

Red Velvet Doughnut Sandwich: I want to live in that sandwich.

I love Paris in the Springtime: Channel your Frenchie spirit here and here.

Bark with bite: Funfetti Bark by Peabody!

Sweet Treat-ise: The many meanings of pie.

Behind the scenes at the old Nabisco Factory!

Rabbit Rabbit: Boozy bunnies for Easter!

Sweet discovery: Malva Pudding, a South African treat.

Stop! Hamantaschen time! A sweet article about tradition and innovation.

SLAM DANCE! If you missed it, here's a roundup of the awesome time that was Seattle's First Pie Slam.

Sweet memories: how to mess with your Easter candy.

Flash in the Panera: Eating Muffin Tops from Panera Bread

CakeSpy Note: So, a few weeks ago Panera Bread emails me and says "would you like to be part of our blog program? We'll pay you." Well, you know, in so many words. So, naturally, I accepted their money and ate their sweet treats.

Guess what I did today? I went to Panera Bread and after reviewing their baked goods case for several moments, said "Give me your biggest muffin top".

Now, as the employee gently (but firmly) pointed out, they're actually called "Muffies". I'll tell you the honest truth, dear reader: I knew this. But I had made my decision.

Regardless of what you want to call them, they're pretty tasty. They had cornbread, pumpkin, and chocolate chip varieties on the day of my visit. 

Favorite by far? The chocolate chip variety. With a texture that seemed like the unholy yet delicious love child of a cookie, scone, and unfrosted cupcake, this moist, dense treat was satisfying, with a great, crusty top, giving way to a soft, cakey interior.

Plus, it's called a Muffin Top (I mean "muffie"), so it's totally an acceptable cake-for-breakfast type food.

Score!

To find a location close to you, visit panerabread.com; follow them on Twitter here, and find them on Facebook here.

Pie Slam Profiles: Apple Pie Recipe and Story by Stephanie Crocker

CakeSpy Note: This is part of a series of Pie Slam Profiles, featuring the recipes and stories of each of the 9 entrants in last week's Pi(e) Day Pie Slam! This entry, for one of the tastiest apple pies I've ever tried, came along with a good story from Stephanie Crocker, who you may know as the owner of Sugar Bakery + Cafe in Seattle (where this pie will be joining the menu soon!).

The Only One

By Stephanie Crocker

First, you’ll have to ask which one? Should it be the one that's over 50 years old and therefore antique? Or is the correct term retro? Shall it be the tart one, the crisp one, the green one, the light green one, the round one, or the biggest one? Or perhaps it should be the new fangled cross-bred that marries the best of the best with the best of the best? Or perhaps it should be a blend, each fruit hand chosen with the help of the tall messy haired produce guy?

And once that’s decided, how will it make you feel? Will it be what you think it would be like to sit on your grandmother's porch on a late summer afternoon? Or will you remember working your way through a large box of them with the other girls from the neighborhood, everyone’s tiny fingers all pruney from the juice? And don’t forget the stickiness of the kitchen on a hot afternoon, with frequent dips in the pool next door to rinse off and cool down. Will there be visions of a red checkered curtain, flapping over it as it sits in the window sill?

And what will it be like when it’s ready, this perfect circle of warmth? What will it do for you besides fill the room with spicy goodness as it sits on the counter waiting for ice cream? What will those cute little chunks of goodness swimming around in a sea of cinnamon goo taste like? And how about that dark crunchy crust, as it crumbles apart with every bite?

And then when should you eat it? On a summer picnic? After the meat and potatoes have moved along? Or maybe sneak some at breakfast before everybody wakes up? It really doesn’t matter, the moment is now.

It's the only one I'll ever truly love to eat. It's the only one I truly love to make. It's the best version of an everyday fruit that I can think of. It’s one of the most difficult ones to make just right. And though this sounds pretentious, I really only love my own. I’m so sorry to the other’s I’ve tried. But don’t just run away and cry, I’ll be happy to share my love with you. Let me tell you how to make my apple pie.

...and here's the recipe! 

Apple Pie

Crust 

• 2 cups (10 oz) all purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons (3/4 oz) granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1/3 cup + 1 Tablespoon (2.5 oz) vegetable shortening, preferably chilled
• 1 Stick (4 oz) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
• 1/8-1/4 cup (2-4 oz) cold water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla* 

Yield: Crust for one 2-crust pie or two 1-crust pies. 

1. Using stand mixer, blend flour, sugar, and salt with paddle attachment in mixing bowl. Slowly add shortening and butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add vanilla. Slowly add water until dough just comes together and is slightly wet.
2. If mixing by hand, blend flour, sugar, and salt with a fork. Add the shortening and butter and blend with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add vanilla. Slowly add water and blend with your fingers until dough just comes together and is slightly wet. Be careful that your hands do not warm the dough too much.
3. Form dough into a flat disk, wrap with plastic and let dough chill for about 1 hour or overnight.
4. Dough can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days, or frozen for up to a month. Crusts can be rolled out and stored in the freezer as well.

Apple Filling 

• 2 each Golden Delicious (about 1 lb)
• 2 each Granny Smith Apples (about 1lb)
• 1 cup (7 oz) granulated sugar
• 1/2 to 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 Tablespoon all purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Peel and core apples* and cut into ½” chunks. Toss in granulated sugar and cinnamon and blend with lemon juice. Pour into unbaked pie crust and top with 1 cup streusel or second crust. Bake 40-50 minutes until mixture is bubbly.

*Peeling apples is optional.

Taking it to the Sweet: A Parisian Adventure in Seattle

As it was once said in that classic of American cinema known as Singles, "I like to live my life like a French movie, Steve".

Well, I didn't have a Steve on hand, but I did have a willing buddy (Lisa, who is so fashionable), and recently, inspired by a sense of mischief and a desire to have a moment of escape from the Seattle rain, we decided to go to Paris.

Of course, time and money didn't allow us to actually hop a plane, so instead we decided to channel our inner French girls and see if we could find a piece of Paris in Seattle.

On the appointed day, we both wore black and white striped shirts (Lisa wore a beret, for extra points). Lisa arrived at CakeSpy Shop around closing time, and she had red balloons.

We walked through downtown, past Boulangerie Nantaise to the Space Needle, and pretended it was the Eiffel Tower, tossing out our limited repertoire of French phrases, like "C'est Bon!", "C'est Magnifique!", "Sacre bleu!", and, of course, as a shout-out to that Muzzy commercial, "Je suis la jeune fille!".

Next, inspired by the 80's hit "Riding on the Metro", we decided to take the metro--or, you know, the Monorail.

We arrived to Westlake Center, or Les Halles as we preferred to think of it, and then walked past a grand Marche to get some vin rouge and soupe a l'oignon at Le Pichet. (by the way, the waiter did say, "so what's up with the balloons?" to which I was very happy to say, "We're pretending we're in Paris." He then said something in French to me. It sounded lovely, whatever it was he said).

On our way out of the cafe, one of our balloons spied some American Pie.

We then headed back up the hill, where we poetically and tragically let our balloons go, near a church that we deemed the Notre Dame.

By this point it had started to rain and get windy, to which we commented "It's a good thing we're in Paris because in Seattle, this weather would totally suck."

And so ended an evening that was, if not literally, then very much figuratively, totally sweet.

Just a little reminder to allow yourself some sweetness in everyday life! CakeSpy gives you permission to be delighted.

Batter Chatter: Interview with Cupcake Artist Joyce Wan

I love reconnecting with friends from my past, especially when our new connection involves cupcakes. I had the pleasure of working with artist Joyce Wan when I was an art director at iPop years ago; these days, we maintain contact because of our shared love of cuteness and cupcakes (she just came out with an adorable new book, You Are My Cupcake !) Here's a sneak peek at what else this talented (and supercute) artist is up to these days:

CakeSpy: I have had the pleasure with working with you as an art director, but at that time your sweet art was mainly focused on cute animals. How did you make the jump to sweet anthropomorphic food?

Joyce Wan: Food has always been a major part of my life. My father owned a restaurant when I was growing up, my mother can cook a Chinese home-cooked meal like nobody’s business and my brother recently graduated from the French Culinary institute and is now working as a professional chef in New York City. As an artist, I am frequently inspired by memories from childhood and things that make me happy so naturally food has found it’s way into my art.

CS: How does food as a subject matter compare to other cute characters? Do you enjoy illustrating one more than the other?

JW: I love all my children equally. However, the only problem with drawing food is that it can make me very hungry in the process which is not quite helping me get bikini ready. An occupational hazard, I suppose!

CS: Can you tell us a little bit about your illustration medium/process?

JW: Most of my art is digital. I sketch the drawings on paper. Then I scan it into illustrator, trace and color.

CS: Your new book, You Are My Cupcake , focuses on sweet terms of endearment. Do you and your husband have any pet names for one another? Be honest.

JW: I’m “sweetie” and he’s “hun” - although sometimes I think he really wants to call me “devil’s food cake”.

CS: What is the last excellent sweet thing you ate (baked good, frozen treat, dessert, etc)?

JW: The strawberry cheesecake from Junior’s in New York City – simply sublime!

CS: Your other book, we belong together, brings up the question: what dessert flavor combo do you think belongs together?

JW: Warm, crumbly apple desserts with vanilla ice cream – one of my favorite combos!

CS: You live in the NYC area. What are some of your favorite bakeries?

JW: Levain Bakery, Two Little Red Hens, Sugar Sweet Sunshine, Billy’s Bakery. (CakeSpy Note: Oddly, I think I visited most of these in the course of 24 hours once!)

CS: Tell me more about how your product line has developed--what are you selling, and where can we buy it?

JW: My style merges contemporary yet whimsical designs with Asian cultural influences and traditions. I started my business with greeting cards and now have expanded into other goodies such as infant apparel, tote bags, prints and pendants. One of my most popular products is my zodiac infant bodysuit packaged in a clear takeout box. I had my first children’s book published in 2009 called Greetings from Kiwi and Pear ;. My two new books You Are My Cupcake and We Belong Together; will be out later this summer. I’ve also just recently ventured into the digital world with the release of “Kiwi and Pear World Adventure” which is an iPod, iPhone, and iPad application for kids which is based off my first picture book. You can find my cards and gift products on my website at wanart.com and at various stores and boutiques across the country. In the Seattle area, Uwajimaya and the Seattle Art Museum gift shop carry a nice selection of my products. You can find my books on amazon.com. The app is available in the iTunes App store.

CS: As an artist, how do you stay inspired? (doesn't have to be dessert related)

JW: I try to keep things interesting by experimenting with new styles, mediums, and characters/subject matter. I always keep my eyes and my mind open and look at nature, people, and everything in between as possible sources of inspiration. I read or see what the trends are in other industries such as fashion, entertainment and technology. I visit galleries, festivals, and museums to see what others are creating and are inspired by. I also have an inspiration board that I keep on my wall in my studio where I pin up photographs, quotes, scraps of paper, fabric – anything I find that resonates with me. Also, I just love making people smile when they see my art – that in itself motivates me everyday.

CS: What is the next big thing you're excited about?

JW: Besides the new books (which can’t come out soon enough!) I’m excited about expanding my business this year through more strategic licensing partnerships and digital ventures. And, of course, I’m always excited about my next food adventure.

To see more of Joyce's work, visit wanart.com. To buy her books, visit Amazon.