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!!