Apple Pork Brunch Pie from the Kitchens of Gracehill--
Kathy's Note: What is nice about this recipe is you can make as little or as much as you would like. Plus it freezes well. You can make an 8" pie (serves 6 easily) or 9 to 10" pie (serves 8 to 10 easily) or little individual oval Pyrex ramekins. Once made they can be baked or frozen and baked later. For speed on a busy morning you can mix dry ingredients ahead of time.
Crust:
1 pound lard
6 cups flour
very cold water
1 beaten egg yolk
2 teaspoons of salt
Cut lard, flour and salt into each other using a pastry blender or food processor. Then divide up in 2 or 3 containers and place in the refrigerator. This will keep for months and will make 2 to 3 pies. When ready to make one take out one container and pour into a cold bowl and stir in with a fork enough cold water to form a ball and leave the sides of the bowl. Divide into 2 pieces, roll out on a floured surface and place in the bottom of the pastry dish. Fill with filling below, and then roll out rest of pie dough and top. Fold and roll the top edge under the lower edge, pressing on the rim to seal. Flute edges. Brush the top with beaten egg yolk. Cut a few slits. I take the left over rolled out dough and cut hearts out of it for "romance package guests" or cookie cutters of leaves for others. Place cut outs on top of the top crust. The crust with the egg yolk brushed on becomes a deep golden brown while the cut outs will remain lighter letting them stand out better. Bake for 30 minutes at 425 then reduce temperature to 350 and bake another 30 minutes.
Filling:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup of flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 granny smith apples peeled and sliced thin
1 16oz package of bulk pork sausage for an 8" pie or 2 packages for a 9 to 10" pie
1/2 cup chopped onion
Mix dry ingredients for filling. This is plenty for a 9 to 10" pie. I usually double this and store in a plastic bag and it will make 3- 8” pies easily. When I make an 8 " pie or individual little ramekins I use just what I need to heavily coat the apples. Use 3 apples for a 9 to 10" pie, 2 for an 8" pie and half an apple for each individual pie.
Brown sausage and onion together. Drain well placing the browned sausage in a sieve and pressing on it with paper towels and a spoon. Layer the sausage mixture on top of the bottom of the pie dough. Place the coated apples on top of the sausage in a pinwheel fashion, and then place the top piecrust on top and flute. See above.
Whip Cream-
Half pint of Whip Cream
¼ t of Vanilla
1 t Sugar
Using a bowl and beaters that have been cooled in the fridge for a while, beat on high speed the whip cream, vanilla, and sugar. When stiff set bowl back in fridge.
Caramelized Pecans-
1/4 C of Butter
1/4 C of Brown Sugar
2 C Pecan Halves
Melt butter over stove then stir in brown sugar. When dissolved add 2 cups of pecans and stir for 2 to 3 minutes until caramelized. Turn pecans out onto a piece of wax paper to cool separating them with a fork. (Any leftovers will keep well the fridge. They are nice sprinkled on top of salads also.)
Ginger Syrup-
1 C Brown Sugar
½ C of Water
2 T Butter
2 T Minced Crystallized Ginger
Melt butter over the stove, and then stir in the brown sugar and water. When dissolved stir in the ginger. Continue stirring for 5 to 10 minutes until it starts to thicken. Take off stove and let set until ready to use. You may have to reheat if it thickens too much. (When your guests dribble this syrup on the pancakes a little bit goes a long way. You don’t smother them like you would with regular maple syrup and any leftovers will hold in the fridge till the next time you make these pancakes.)
Pancakes-
2 C Whole Milk
2 Eggs
3 T Butter, melted
¾ C Canned Pumpkin
1 2/3 C All Purpose Flour
¾ t Cinnamon
1/8 t Ground Cloves
¼ t Ground Ginger
¼ t Salt
2 t Baking Powder
3 T Brown Sugar
Beat eggs briefly, then add and beat in the milk, butter and pumpkin. Add all the dry ingredients except the flour and beat. Add flour last and beat until large lumps disappear. Heat a large griddle, melt a little butter on it and pour a small amount of batter on the griddle. Smooth the batter down with a spoon. (These are very thin pancakes and about 4 inches across. When done on both sides, arrange about three pancakes on a plate, sprinkle on pecans and then a dollop of whip cream. (You can sprinkle a little nutmeg on top of the whip cream.) These could also be garnished with orange slices, or a backed apples, etc. Serve with syrup. This batter can be made the night before and held for a couple of days in the fridge.
