meet me at the fair!

Today is the big day! Waking early, I rolled out my beautiful dough, sliced apples carefully, measured meticulously and assembled my fifth and final (2010) pie. I surprised myself when I woke with a smile on my face and butterflies in my stomach (silly!) and then, just prior to departure, began to imagine myself dropping the pie right outside the Creative Activities building, or having to put on my breaks really hard and (in slow motion) watching my pie fall to the dirty floor of my car... or worse, getting out of the shower to find I didn't hear the timer and everything was burned to a crisp. Oh dear. I probably should have baked it last night.

The good news is we arrived safe and sound! With plenty of time to spare! I felt curious about how people would be acting in line - competitive? Minnesota nice? Both at the same time! There were all kinds, much to my delight, and everyone was excited about their baking. Some women stepped into line with boxes full of bars and drop cookies and brownies, one even needed a moment of consolation from her husband right before she got in line! Others were like me, smiling, delighted with their single creation and happily chatting with other bakers about their fair experiences. The woman behind me in line made it very clear that she had gotten a blue ribbon her first time in the fair (for muffins made out of cereal??) & told her name to people as if they should know... hehe. I loved it.

As far as the actual pie goes, I kept it pretty much the same as 4G except I did go sans boiled cider. I think it does create a really traditional pie flavor, but I liked keeping it lighter and more of a pastry than a heavy pie. Anyway, I really wish I had more time to experiment - I was changing multiple ingredients each time so it was hard to know what change I liked and what I could do without. Five pies under my belt doesn't seem like much, but this is just my first year after all.

The judging happens today but I won't know the results until I actually go to the fair (they hang the list on the door somewhere on the fairgrounds). Anyway, up above are some pictures of my morning! It really was fun.

4G

Things are back on track with pie 4G! Again, I let the crust get good and cold before rolling it out into perfectly shaped disks. I cut the butter and lard in by hand & I think this time I unintentionally left some larger chunks behind (notice: swiss-cheese like holes in the top crust). Didn't affect the taste at all, and I kind of loved the out-of-my-hands imperfection that formed while it baked.

And, the Zestar apples were a very good decision. As the pie was baking I was worried they were creating too much water (we had some overflow, which didn't happen with the other types) but in the end the texture, taste and consistency was nearly perfect. They are a semi-tart apple, I definitely wouldn't put them in the same category as Granny Smith, so with the lemon zest (which I went heavy on again, since it was so yummy last time), things turned out a little too puckery. So, for round five I'm going to stay with the Zestars, skimp on the lemon zest and call it good! Which is good since I just went to the grocery store and there were no Braeburns in sight! The only thing I have yet to decide on is the boiled cider. Friend or foe? It's a heavy taste, and I'm finding it tough to balance with the spices. The first time I used it, I added a whole 1/4 cup, which is what my recipe told me to do. It was kinda thick for my preferences, so last time I added 2 tablespoons instead. Still, I felt kind of overwhelmed by the flavor. Hm, what to do...

Regardless, tonight my 5th pie will be born! And tomorrow I will drop it off at the state fair! I don't even really care if I win, I'm finding, I'm just so excited to bring my All-Minnesotan apple pie to the fair grounds, along with all my competition, & then see it proudly displayed in the Creative Activities building next week. I'm super curious what the social culture is like on days like this. Are people cut throat about their pies? Or will we all be standing in line, chatty, exchanging tips and secret ingredients? Hm, I guess it won't be long until I find out!

3G

Progress in the pie department took a significant hit this week. Forgetting to add the last cup of flour until after the water and vodka were mixed in does create some problems... mostly, chewy crust. And I wasn't even watching TV this time!

I also changed a few things with the apples. First, I have read on multiple occasions that it is best to make pies with two kinds of apples (one half tart, the other sweet). I've been using Granny Smith and Braeburn up until this pie when I decided to switch out the Braeburns for Fuij. Not a great decision, as they are very different consistencies (fuji: soft and spongy, grannies: crisp and wonderful). But, it did help me identify what it is that I find most appealing in pie filling. Haha, or should I say a-peeling?

Anyway, I've got 4G in the oven right now and I've made some good improvements in the apple selection department. Mostly, I decided that I'm in charge of the sweet vs. tart ratio and I must say that I favor the tart. Especially with fall coming.So, bubbling between the flaky layers of crust are Zestar apple! Wait, what are Zestar apples, you ask? Well, they are a University of Minnesota original (which I found very fitting) that were created to ripen early in the season in colder climates. I found them via the co-op, but they are grown and harvested in LaCrescent, MN. There are bumps and bruises all over these apples, but that makes me love them all the more. I can't wait to see how it turns out!

Apple Pie 2.0

Well, the second round in this baking series has come and gone. I feel a little embarrassed to say that I've only crafted two pies during this "summer of baking" but, hey, it's really hot in this tiny apt!

My goals with this second one was to focus on the filling. I got feedback that my spices were less than balanced the first go round, so I added a couple to try and give it some depth or diversity (or whatever - don't be fooled, I'm no spice expert). So, there was cinnamon, nutmeg, mace and cloves in this last one. And while that part of it was good, the filling was less than perfect. Which I must admit wasn't due to my ingredients, but rather a product of my addictive personality.

Has anyone seen Nip/Tuck? If not, be warned, it's almost impossible to peel your eyes away from those dark and twisty characters... which is especially dangerous while you are zesting a lemon into your state fair pie! No blood spill, thankfully, but I did end up zesting nearly the whole lemon when I had planned on only using a tablespoon. I thought I picked enough of it out, but the filling was super tart. The strange part was that my tasters raved about it! And, yes, even though I love them dearly, I am now a bit skeptical of their discretion when it comes to apple pie filling.

The thing that did go really well with this pie was the crust. Last time I made it I was SO excited to roll it out and bake it up all flaky and golden that I only let it get chilly in the fridge for about an hour. This time I was a bit strapped for time, so I made it and then let it sit (accidentally) for 2 whole days. I don't know what happens when you let things really sit and get truly cold, but the end result was a perfectly flaky and delicious crust. I haven't quite figured out how to resolve the whole "I want it to taste more like butter" issue, but I'm leaning toward experimenting with butter extract. (My insides are saying "NOOOOO, only use REAL butter", but from what I've read it's really hard to keep the flakes with real butter. Decisions, decisions).

This week needs to be about baking pies - the fair is but weeks away! And I will do my best, I promise!! Anyone have any suggestions or tips? I love feedback!!