Hope you all had a chance to enjoy my boeuf bourginon and if you have not made it, you will. So the next logical question, “What’s for dessert?” Fall opens up all the warm spice options, but nothing beats a great apple dessert. I would have to say, my clan loves them all; pie, turnovers, crisp and applesauce, to name the greatest hits. Before we get to a recipe and wine pairing, let’s probe the dessert area a bit further.
In many parts of the world, dessert is some fruit or a small biscuit or cookie. In most of Europe it follows a cheese course and is served with coffee or tea. The American pallet tends towards sweeter and richer desserts. I do subscribe to the theory that ice cream goes with everything, well almost everything! So what are the trends here in America?
Many of the fine dinning restaurants are using more savory items like herbs to flavor the final course. I can’t say that I am a fan of rosemary sorbet or basil gelato, but when mixed with vanilla bean or a ripe fruit, the herb partner seems to support an interesting twist to a dessert. I am more of a traditional dessert person, but do like to have my taste buds surprised.
A trend that I hope is coming to an end is deconstruction of dishes, especially desserts. If the chef thinks the items should be eaten mixed together, mix them please! I hope this fad is on the outs! What I do like are the familiar tastes and flavors that conjour up great memories of childhood or a great meal. Nothing does that as well as dessert.
So if you like a classic, nothing beats apple pie, except Apple pie a la mode. So I will give you my favorite pie filling recipe and wine pairing. I am purposely omitting a crust recipe as you either have one that works, or buy the refrigerated ones and it will work well.
For a 9″ pie, you will need 6-7 cups of thin (1/8″) apples. Toss the apples with a teaspoon of good ground cinnamon, 1/3 cup of granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. After well coated, add 1/4 cup of all purpose flour and toss gently so you don’t break the apple slices. Add the apple mixture to a prepared pie crust in a 9″ pie plate. Then add 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, cut in to little pieces and dot the apple mixture. Cover the apples with a second crust, but be careful to not push all the butter pieces off the top. Cut a few vents in your crust after crimping the crust. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 40-50 minutes. If you like a sweet crust, beat an egg with 1 teaspoon of water and brush the top crust. Then sprinkle sugar on the egg wash. When the top crust is golden brown, your pie is ready.
Once the pie is cooled, cut and add a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. So what wine do I serve with my apple pie a la mode? There are 2 great choices. The first is a Moscato d’asti. It is a semi-sweet lightly sparkling white wine and it pulls the apple’s tartness out on your pallet in a pleasing way. My favorite is a Riesling from Germany. The choices are endless here, but in the $20 range you can find some great options from the Rhine region. If you have the desire to spend a little more, Austria has some great Riesling options, but they will be closer to $50.
So now you have dinner and dessert paired with great wine options, and before you know it, it will be thanksgiving. Enjoy the pie and cut me a big slice. Keep an eye out for my turkey day installment very soon!