I am back!

I know I haven’t made a blog post in a very long time.  As you probably know by now, I sell Gourmet Homemade Marshmallows on Etsy.  This past December was busy beyond expectations.  The up side of this was that it was very flattering to have customers so confident in me!  The down side was that I had no time to do any holiday baking!  😦  (Don’t think for a minute that I didn’t EAT a ton of baked goods that others made though!)

Now the holidays have come and gone and I have time to catch my breath.  In fact, I’m catching it right now on a long-weekend in Alabama!  I am visiting many Civil Rights themed sites in honor of MLK weekend.

This also means that while I’m living out of a suitcase in a hotel, I have fewer distractions and am able to catch up on some things such as my blog.

Just before Thanksgiving and just after Christmas I did some baking but neither were worthy of a Sweet Jumbles mention.  This past week, however,  I baked an Apple Cider Cream Pie.  I’m still in winter flavors mode (and based on the weather, that’s pretty appropriate) and this was a sure winner.  My coworkers enjoyed it and it was devoured in the blink of an eye.

The photos, unfortunately, don’t do the pie justice.  Just trust me.

Apple Cider Cream Pie
Source: Food & Wine

Crust
1 c all-purpose flour
1 T cornstarch
1 T sugar
1 t kosher salt
1/2 c unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
3 T cold milk
1 t apple cider vinegar

Fillings and toppings
2 c apple cider
1 c sugar
1/2 c sour cream
1/4 t salt
4 large eggs
1 c heavy cream
1/2 t cinnamon

• In a food processor or with a pastry cutter, combine the flour, cornstarch, sugar and salt. Add the butter and pulse in 1-second bursts (or cut in) until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Combine the milk and vinegar and drizzle it on top. Again pulse in 1-second bursts or cut in until the dough just comes together. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, gather up any crumbs and pat into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.
• On a floured work surface, roll out the dough to 11-inches round and 1/4 inch thick; ease it into a 9-inch glass or ceramic pie plate. Trim the overhanging dough to 1 inch and fold it under itself. Crimp decoratively and chill the crust until firm, about 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 425°. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake in the lower third of the oven for about 15 minutes, until the crust is barely set. Remove the parchment and pie weights. Cover the edge of the crust with strips of foil and bake for about 15 minutes longer, until the crust is just set but not browned. Press the bottom of the crust lightly to deflate it if it puffs; let cool. Lower the oven temperature to 350°.
• In a medium saucepan, boil the cider until it’s reduced to 1/2 cup, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Whisk in 3/4 cup of the sugar, the sour cream, and salt; then whisk in the eggs.
• Pour the custard into the pie shell without removing the foil strips. Bake the pie in the lower third of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until the custard is set around the edge but the center is slightly jiggly. Let the pie cool completely.
• In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream with the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and the cinnamon until firmly whipped. Mound the cream on the pie, cut into wedges and serve.