Apple Hand Pies

Well, here they are. They were a success at staffing and super cute. I doubled the recipe so I have quite a few left over, another treat I'll be adding to my fall packages. 

Recipe follows and adopted from une gamine dans la cuisine:
--makes about 12-16 hand pies

Crust:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (that's 2 sticks) unsalted butter, very cold and cut into bits
1 cup ice water (you probably won't need a full cup, but have it ready just in case)

Filling:
3 McIntosh apples (or Granny Smith)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

Topping
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Method of madness:

• Prepare the crust: Place the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt into the bowl of a large food processor. {Note: If you have a small processor, divide the ingredients and make half at a time.} Pulse to combine. Sprinkle the bits of cold butter over the dry ingredients. Pulse a few times, just until your left with a crumbly mixture (you should see oatmeal and pea-size pieces of dough). Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of the ice water over the dough. Pulse a few times. Add about 1 more Tablespoon of ice water. Pulse again. If the dough has begun to come together on the blade, and if it sticks together when pinched, then it's ready. If it still looks a bit shaggy, add a splash more water and keep adding until it just comes together. 
• Dump the dough onto a floured surface. Quickly and gently knead, just to incorporate any stray pieces of dry ingredients. Gather the dough into a ball. Divide it in half and pat each half into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour. 

• Prepare the filling: Peel, core, and chop the apples. {Note: Since the pies are small, try not to keep the apple pieces relatively small. In fact I grated mine and it worked out a lot better} Place the chopped (or grated) apples into a medium-size bowl. Add the lemon, sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and ginger. Stir everything together until evenly coated. Cover the bowl as you roll out the dough.
• Have the beaten egg on hand, ready to use.

• Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Remove one dough disk from the refrigerator. On a floured surface, roll the dough out into a rough circle until it's about 1/8" thick. {Don't worry about the circle being perfect, you're going to be cutting out mini-circles.} Use a 4 1/2-inch biscuit (or cookie cutter or the rim of a glass cup) to cut out as many circles as possible. (Save the scraps.) Place the cut-out circles of dough onto a prepared baking sheet. Use a pastry brush to moisten the edges of each circle with egg. Add about 1 Tablespoon of the apple filing into the center of the circles (be sure to leave about a 3/4-inch of bare dough around the edges). Fold each circle in half and pinch the edges together to seal. Use a fork to crimp the edges. Cut two small slits into the top of each pie, brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with granulated sugar. 
• Repeat with the remaining disk. {Note: The scraps can be re-rolled.}
• Bake for 18-23 minutes or until the pies are golden brown. Remove from the oven and place onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before serving. 

Really yummy with vanilla ice cream. Or plain. Mmmm! Mmmm! MMMMMMMMMMM!

So I think I'm getting sick. Drats. Also I went to Wal-Mart yesterday to pick up some things and I just wanted some pepper spray, which they do not carry apparently, and I got some very strange looks when I asked if they had any. Seriously? Young female--that's pretty much the prime purchasing audience for the stuff. Well, if they won't give me pepper spray then a glock it is. 

I was late for church this morning because I had to work and what I was hoping would only take an hour tops, ended up taking 2 hours. Rats. Oh well. Days like today make me really miss my ward back home, and New England in general. :( Anyway, I just made the dough for candy corn sugar cookies for staffing this week. I contemplated making chocolate peanut butter Levain cookies because that's really the only thing that sounds appealing, but I decided not to. However the night is still young so who knows!!! Right now I'm watching the Sorcerer's Apprentice. Have you seen it? I really like this movie and I fell in love with One Republic's song "Secrets" when I saw the movie. Also Jay Baruchel is so cute! 

Cinco De Mayo...a little early

Some friends and I decided to celebrate Cinco de Mayo a little early and so we had a little party tonight!

Here are the sombrero cookies I made. My last post may have been misleading. I did actually made a few sombrero cookies but because the frosting was a disaster and was runny at room temperature, I dubbed them staffing-inappropriate and shoved about 15 of them in the freezer for the party. 

They were well received at our party and boy oh boy was I glad. Also the plain sugar cookies were well received at staffing and that was relieving. I was so disheartened when I walked into work. Dr W was funny. When he walked in, he asked where the treats were so I pointed and then very quickly dove into my story about how I was going to bring in festive Cinco de Mayo cookies but the frosting wouldn't set and it was a disaster and he looked at me and asked, "Did I have to bake these cookies?" No. "Are they free?" Yes. "Then they are perfect." I felt a little better after that. 

 Chips, salsa, guacamole (yummmmmmm), pretzel chips, pina coladas. So yummy!

 Some of the gals! (Ali--in the purple shirt--even came with mustache!)

Ashley, our pina colada mastah!

Candid

Now let's talk about an embarrassing story. I went for a run and left around 6pm. I figured I could take my sweet time and the latest I could be back was 7pm because everyone was coming at 7:30pm. Well, as I was running I had the thought that I should get back early but I ignored it because I really wanted to make 4 miles. I walked instead of running. It was too hot and humid and I already had a headache. So I was about to cross the street into my apt complex and I recognized one of my friends in their car pulling in. Begin FREAK OUT. I looked at my watch and it was only 7. So I sprinted to my apartment and found a few more of my friends waiting outside my door frantic because they had tried to call me and I hadn't answered my phone or the door so they were thinking the worst. I was so embarrassed. I must have missed the memo that said the time was moved to 7pm! I was sweaty in my running shorts and tank top with my iPod blasting and here everyone was arriving. Ohmalantus. So I ushered them all in with a stream of apologizes, changed super fast and the partying began. It was fine and they were so forgiving but I was mortified. What a horrible hostess! Thank goodness I cleaned before I went for a run. We ate, chatted, laughed, watched Nacho Libre and laughed so more. Good times. I love Jack Black. 


Fun Fact. I used my dishwasher for the first time tonight. I've never had enough dishes where I felt the need to use my dishwasher.

And, truth be told, I really don't know how to use dishwashers. I know. I know. 
I mean I figured it out (with the help of my friend Gloria), but I didn't grow up with dishwasher in my house (unless you count my brother, but I guess that doesn't really count now does it?). I had one in one of my apartments during college but it was horrible and left a nasty film on our dishes so I have always done my dishes by hand. I inspected the dishes a few minutes ago and this dishwasher appears pretty legit. I'm impressed. No nasty films, no residue. Maybe I'll use it a little more often now! 

Next I will wrap up this post with a patient story from today. I have this patient who is the quite possibly the most spoiled rotten, childish male patient I have met yet. I mean he tried to convince the hospital his yappy, annoying chihuahua was a service dog. Are you kidding me? The dog was yapping at patients, snapping at nurses. That is NOT a service dog. The patient refuses physical therapy, claims he won't eat and can't be on a diabetic diet (uh ok, your blood sugars are ONLY in the 300 and 400s...Clearly you "shouldn't" be on a diabetic diet. FALSE. But don't worry. I told Dr. W wouldn't upgrade his diet so. Muahahahah. Thank you Dr. W!) Well, I went to do my follow-up assessment today and the patient is supposed to get a PB & J sandwich in the evenings. Well, apparently his sandwich didn't have enough jelly and this is how he chose to tell me. Just prepare yourself. He told me the amount of jelly that was on his sandwich was the amount a poor black man would use. I'm NOT exaggerating one tiny bit. 

I was LIVID. 

What an absolutely bigoted, stereotypical, HORRIBLE, completely inappropriate and uncalled for thing to say. He's lucky he wasn't looking at my face because I can assure you I had to mentally think and concentrate to force my face to stop screwing up in anger and shock, physically bite my tongue, and I'm pretty sure flames were flickering in my eyes. I was so appalled. I didn't even know what to say. I chose not to even comment because I was afraid if I opened my mouth, I would say something I might regret. So I took a few breaths, tried to  stop myself from seeing red, and as calmly as I could muster, told him I'd see if we could get some extra jelly on there. 

UNBELIEVABLE.

Tomorrow is Friday and the weekend will be here. HALLELUJAH!!!

Snack Time, er, Staffing Time

I decided to bring some of those homemade choc chip cookie dough PB cups (that name is really long...) to staffing today. So I set them out on the table and Dr. W dove right in and had one. He liked them. But for the love of chocolate the rest of the staff would wistfully eye the treats and, amused (and might I say I felt a little devilish, a tempter) I watched their self-control break down minute by minute. 


First they would walk in and exclaim, "Ooooh! What are these?" Dr W. would tell them. Now, if it were me, I'd snatch one up and pop it right in my mouth. Much to my delight a few did. Most declined. At first. Then they would eye them and watch a few other people eat them and lick the melted chocolate and peanut butter off their fingers. And then, slowly but surely they would shyly grab one. A few people declined completely. Their loss!!! They were a hit. Maybe I'll make a name for myself here in Myrtle Beach via my baking and treats! I should bake for the 3W nurses. Butter them up a little (ha! No pun intended...). I don't think they like me. Sad day. They scare me. 


I did not make homemade gnocchi this evening but I plan to this week. Instead, I have an activity, staffing on Thursday, and a birthday to bake for so I will be baking up a storm this week. Tonight: the oatmeal chocolate chip/butterscotch chip banana cookies (and yes, for these I do some substitutions to make them a little "healthier"). Yum! My apartment smells divine.


Now, if you'll excuse me...I am off to finish "Sarah's Key." I got lost in the book yesterday and nearly finished it but around midnight (!!!!! I couldn't believe it...). I had to put it down and force myself to get to bed. It's a must-read. Add it to your list. 


Oh. And. And I'm currently lovin' Sara Bareilles, Rob Thomas, (if you didn't notice from my playlist) and the new Maroon 5 ft. Wiz Khalifa song. Love music. Love yoga. Love baking. Love reading. Love my new waxed, cleaned, and vacuumed car (after a very unfortunate Saturday night where a drunk person vomited on the side of my car. NOT COOL.) Life is lookin' up. Feeling much better than I have in a bit. This is good. Very good.