Ingredients for Irish Lamb Stew

• Lamb Shoulder. The lamb shoulder is best for stews. It becomes nice and tender when cooked long and slow. The shoulder has a bit more fat on it that you can trim off. I like to trim it off but then add it to the stew for the extra flavor. Before serving I take as much as the fatty timing and the bones out.

• Potatoes. You can use any type of potato you have for this stew but I prefer small red potatoes. They are soft and creamy, yet hold their shape well. I also just love the flavor of red potatoes, especially paired with rosemary.
• Carrots. We want our veggies cut large for this stew. You can use whole baby carrots for easier prep work.

• Cabbage. This is optional. Some people really don’t like cooked cabbage or cabbage at all and If that’s you, leave the cabbage out.
• Onion. An onion will add so much flavor as well as rich nutrition. Onions are rich in antioxidants and immune system building properties. They are great for you and great tasting.
• Garlic. Garlic also add a lot of flavor with some of the same nutritional benefits. Improving immune system and great for blood flow and heart health, garlic is a great addition to your meals.

• Broth. You can use any type of broth you want but lamb broth will be the best choice for this lamb stew. Beef broth and chicken broth also taste great in the stew. Vegetable broth will also work. The only thing I don’t advice is plain water, that will diminish the flavor greatly.
• Flour/Cornstarch. For a little thicker broth add about a 1/4-1/2 a cup flour or cornstarch to the broth. The more you use the thicker the broth will get. I advice add the flour half way (or later) through cooking the stew. We want the meat and vegetables to soak in the flavor of the broth while cooking. If the broth is to thick it will not soak in and you might will be tough and the flavor of the vegetables will be weak. You can add the flour in 20 minutes before serving and that should be long enough to thicken up.

• Rosemary. The only seasoning (besides salt and pepper) we will need for this recipe is rosemary. I like to use fresh rosemary but dried will work as well.
• Salt and Pepper to taste. If I am using homemade broth I typically need to add a lot more salt than if I’m using store bought broth. So as I am making my stew and get it a taste or two and add the needed salt and pepper to my liking.

How To Make Irish Lamb Stew

• Chop Vegetables. Cut your potatoes in quarter or large chucks, same with your carrots, onion and cabbage. Large chunks. Dice the garlic in small pieces.
• Chop Lamb. Cut your lamb shoulder into 1-2 inch pieces. Large is good but not to big.

• Saute. Get you pot nice and hot. I like to use cast iron, it works best but if you don’t have cast iron your normal pot should work just fine. With a little cooking oil in the pot sauce the onions first. As they soften add the garlic and lamb. Once the lamb is seared, not cooked though, but as soon as it is brown add the potatoes, carrots and cabbage. Stir in and cook for a few minutes.

• Add Broth. Pour in the broth till it just covers the meat and vegetables. Cover with a lid and let simmer for a minimum of 30 minutes. The longer you let your stew simmer the more flavor your stew will have. I will often turn it on low and leave it for 2 hours or longer.

• Temper Flour. To thicken the broth add about a 1/4 cup flour to your broth. To do this without having cooked flour chunks you will need to temper the flour with the broth. To temper the flour and broth you will first add the flour with some room temperature water or broth at a 1:1 ratio. Then ladle some of the hot broth from the stew into you flour and water and mix together. Keep adding broth till the flour and broth are well mixed and hot. To make sure not flour chucks I strain the mixture while adding it to my stew. Simmer for another 20 minutes to thicken up before serving.

Irish Lamb Stew

Yield: 6 Servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

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Ingredients

• 2 lbs lamb shoulder
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 4 carrots
• 10 small red potatoes
• 6-8 cups broth
• 1/4 cup flour or cornstarch
• 2 rosemary fresh sprigs or 2 tablespoons dried rosemary
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Chop Vegetables. Cut your potatoes in quarter or large chucks, same with your carrots, onion and cabbage. Large chunks. Dice the garlic in small pieces.
2. Chop Lamb. Cut your lamb shoulder into 1-2 inch pieces. Large is good but not to big.
3. Saute. Get you pot nice and hot. I like to use cast iron, it works best but if you don't have cast iron your normal pot will work just fine. With a little cooking oil in the pot saute the onions first. As they soften add the garlic and lamb. Once the lamb is seared (not cooked though) but as soon as it is brown add the potatoes, carrots, cabbage and seasonings. Stir in and cook for a few minutes.
4. Add Broth. Pour in the broth till it just covers the meat and vegetables. Cover with a lid and let simmer for a minimum of 30 minutes. The longer you let your stew simmer the more flavor your stew will have. I will often turn it on low and leave it for 2 hours or longer.
5. Temper Flour. To thicken the broth add about a 1/4 cup flour to your broth. To do this without having cooked flour chunks you will need to temper the flour with the broth. To temper the flour and broth you will first add the flour with some room temperature water or broth at a 1:1 ratio. Then ladle some of the hot broth from the stew into you flour and water and mix together. Keep adding broth till the flour and broth are well mixed and hot. To make sure not flour chucks I strain the mixture while adding it to my stew. Simmer for another 20 minutes to thicken up before serving.

Crock Pot Simplified Version

Saute the lamb on the stove top then place in the crock pot with all the other ingredients. Turn on high for 4-6 hours and low for 6-8 hours. Enjoy!

The post Irish Lamb Stew Recipe appeared first on Embracing The Home.

Ingredients for Eggnog Ice Cream

You can either buy store bought eggnog or make your own. Here I will show you how to make your own. If your using store bought you can skip all this and simple add it to your ice cream maker.

Eggs Yokes

Egg Yokes add flavor as well as some of the creamy thickness. As you heat up your milk and eggs the yokes will cook slowly while mixing in with the milk, cream and sugar. In the end they will be cooked and if done correctly not clumpy.

Milk and Cream

The more cream you use the thicker and richer your eggnog will be. The more cream and fat in your ice cream the smoother and easier to scoop as the fat doesn’t freeze all the way. This gives your ice cream a creamier texture avoiding icy hard ice cream. You substitute with all milk or half and half and it will still turn out but texture will be best when you add the cream.

Sugar

Sugar is going to sweeten up our ice cream. If you want to substitute for a more healthier choice you could try monk fruit sweetener at a 1:1 ratio. Or honey or maple syrup at a 1:3/4 ratio.

Spices

Nutmeg is the star of the show with eggnog. Its warm, sweet, nutty flavor taste like Christmas. You can use ground nutmeg or whole cloves. I prefer using the whole cloves. Just grate them with a fine grater and enjoy freshly grated nutmeg.

The other spice we will be adding is cinnamon. Cinnamon and nutmeg complement each other very well as the are both warm and very reminiscence of the holiday season.

Vanilla Extract/Powder

Vanilla is another wonderfully warm flavor that bring out all the other flavors. I like to use vanilla powder for most of my baking and cooking. The flavor is just as wonderful and measures out the same as vanilla extract. If you’ve never given it a try let this holiday season be you chance!

Salt

Enhance the flavor with good salt like Redmond Real Salt. If you are looking for a unrefined natural salt with multiple minerals and electrolytes harvested in the United States of America, then look no further. Redmond Real Salt is full of flavor and nutrients and harvested out of the ancient seabed deep beneath Central Utah.

How To Make Eggnog

Separate eggs

Get two bowls, one for the yokes and one for the egg whites. Separating eggs is simple, crack the egg over the bowl set aside for the whites. Pour or catch the egg yoke in one half of the broken egg shell. Let the egg white fall into the bowl. Pour the egg yoke into the other half of the broken egg shell to get rid of the rest of the egg whites. Place you egg yoke in the other bowl.

Double Yoke with my first egg! Always very special!

Whisk Eggs and Sugar

To brake up the egg yoke and to keep it from clumping up while it cook, whisk it with the sugar until it turns a light or pale yellow. This will make for a very nice smooth eggnog.

Add The Rest Of The Ingredients

In a pot add the milk, cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, vanilla powder and the egg and sugar mixture and whisk together.

Heat on The Stove

Turn on medium – medium high heat and stir. Don’t whisk anymore just stir it all together and keep an eye on it. You don’t want the eggnog to boil but you do want it to steam and maybe bubble a little but don’t let the milk burn. Stir for about 10-15 minutes until it starts to thicken as the egg cooks.

Let cool and Refrigerate

Turn off the heat and let the eggnog cool down. Once room temperature poor in a mason jar or bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

How To Make Eggnog Ice Cream

Pour Into An Ice Cream Maker and Churn For 20 Minutes

If you are using a KitchenAid Ice Cream bowl and attachment, turn the mixer on stir. Do not go any faster. You want to churn your ice cream slowly. If you are using an old fashioned ice cream maker or an electric ice cream maker follow the directions that came with your machine. Sadly I am not versed with every brand.

Freeze For 20 Minutes

The longer you churn the warmer your bowl is going to get. So I put it back in the freezer for 20 – 30 minutes to help keep everything cold. Leave the blade/mixer in the bowl.

Churn Again For Another 20 Minutes

When I bring it back out of the freezer I first break it up a little with a spoon. I don’t want it to be so hard that the mixer doesn’t work. It will seem at this point that it’s getting softer at first and not as frozen but then the ice cream will seem to increase and in my case, overflow a little bit. This is good.

Freeze For Another 20 Minutes Before Serving

By this time it might be close to a soft serve texture and you can serve it if you like. I will give my kids a spoonful and then place back in the freezer for another 20 minutes (or longer) to solidify a bit more. After that scoop away!

Eggnog Ice Cream

Yield: 1 quart

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes

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Ingredients

• 6 egg yokes
• 3 cups milk
• 1 cup cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Separate the egg white from the eggs. (read above to learn how to separate eggs.)
2. Whisk Eggs and Sugar together to brake up the egg yoke and to keep it from clumping up while it cook, whisk it with the sugar until it turns a light or pale yellow.
3. In a pot add the milk, cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, vanilla powder and the egg and sugar mixture and whisk together.
4. Heat on the stove on medium - medium high heat and stir. Don't whisk anymore just stir it all together and keep an eye on it. You don't want the eggnog to boil but you do want it to steam and maybe bubble a little but don't let the milk burn. Stir for about 10-15 minutes until it starts to thicken as the egg cooks.
5. Let cool down and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
6. Poor into ice cream maker
7. Churn for 20 minutes
8. Place the bowl and all into the freezer for 30 minutes
9. Add chocolate chips and churn for another 20 minutes
10. Freeze again for at least 20 minutes before serving.

The post How To Make Homemade Eggnog Ice Cream appeared first on Embracing The Home.

Ingredients for Eggnog

Eggs Yokes

Egg Yokes add flavor as well as some of the creamy thickness. As you heat up your milk and eggs the yokes will cook slowly while mixing in with the milk, cream and sugar. In the end they will be cooked and if done correctly not clumpy.

Milk and Cream

The more cream you use the thicker and richer your eggnog will be. I remember as I kid my sister would always add a little milk to the eggnog because to thin it out a bit but I always liked the thickness. So depending on how you like it you can change the ratio of milk and cream. You could go as far as all cream (I wouldn’t suggest it) or you could do all milk and it will still turn out.

Sugar

Sugar is going to sweeten up our creamy drink. If you want to substitute for a more healthier choice you could try monk fruit sweetener at a 1:1 ratio. Or honey or maple syrup at a 1:3/4 ratio.

Spices

Nutmeg is the star of the show with eggnog. Its warm, sweet, nutty flavor taste like Christmas. You can use ground nutmeg or whole cloves. I prefer using the whole cloves. Just grate them with a fine grater and enjoy freshly grated nutmeg.

The other spice we will be adding is cinnamon. Cinnamon and nutmeg complement each other very well as the are both warm and very reminiscence of the holiday season.

Vanilla Extract/Powder

Vanilla is another wonderfully warm flavor that bring out all the other flavors. I like to use vanilla powder for most of my baking and cooking. The flavor is just as wonderful and measures out the same as vanilla extract. If you’ve never given it a try let this holiday season be you chance!

Salt

Enhance the flavor with good salt like Redmond Real Salt. If you are looking for a unrefined natural salt with multiple minerals and electrolytes harvested in the United States of America, then look no further. Redmond Real Salt is full of flavor and nutrients and harvested out of the ancient seabed deep beneath Central Utah.

How To Make Eggnog

Separate eggs

Get two bowls, one for the yokes and one for the egg whites. Separating eggs is simple, crack the egg over the bowl set aside for the whites. Pour or catch the egg yoke in one half of the broken egg shell. Let the egg white fall into the bowl. Pour the egg yoke into the other half of the broken egg shell to get rid of the rest of the egg whites. Place you egg yoke in the other bowl.

Double Yoke with my first egg! Always very special!

Whisk Eggs and Sugar

To brake up the egg yoke and to keep it from clumping up while it cook, whisk it with the sugar until it turns a light or pale yellow. This will make for a very nice smooth eggnog.

Add The Rest Of The Ingredients

In a pot add the milk, cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, vanilla powder and the egg and sugar mixture and whisk together.

Heat on The Stove

Turn on medium – medium high heat and stir. Don’t whisk anymore just stir it all together and keep an eye on it. You don’t want the eggnog to boil but you do want it to steam and maybe bubble a little but don’t let the milk burn. Stir for about 10-15 minutes until it starts to thicken as the egg cooks.

Let Cool and Enjoy!

Once thickened, let your eggnog cool down. I like my eggnog warm just as much as I like it cold so enjoy it once drinkable.

Store you eggnog in the refrigerator for as long as the original expiration date for your milk and cream that you used in this recipe.

Eggnog

Yield: 1 quart jar

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

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Ingredients

• 6 egg yokes
• 3 cups milk
• 1 cup cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Separate the egg white from the eggs. (read above to learn how to separate eggs.)
2. Whisk Eggs and Sugar together to brake up the egg yoke and to keep it from clumping up while it cook, whisk it with the sugar until it turns a light or pale yellow.
3. In a pot add the milk, cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, vanilla powder and the egg and sugar mixture and whisk together.
4. Heat on the stove on medium - medium high heat and stir. Don't whisk anymore just stir it all together and keep an eye on it. You don't want the eggnog to boil but you do want it to steam and maybe bubble a little but don't let the milk burn. Stir for about 10-15 minutes until it starts to thicken as the egg cooks.
5. Let cool and store in the refrigerator in a jar until the expiration date on the milk and cream that you used in the recipe.

The post How To Make Homemade Eggnog – From Scratch Holiday Recipes appeared first on Embracing The Home.

How To Puree a Pumpkin

Step One: Pick Your Pumpkin

Pick out a nice baking pumpkin, one that is one that seems heavy for its size. At the store they may be marked as sugar pumpkins or pie pumpkins. I do not recommend using a carving pumpkin. Read above to learn more about the differences.

Step Two: Cut and Gut Your Pumpkin

Cut the top off you pumpkin then proceed to cutting the pumpkin in half using a large chefs knife. Watch out for fingers! Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds.

This pumpkin had a bruise and was a little moldy on the bottom. I simple cut the bottom off and threw it in the compost. The top was full of good pumpkin I made sure to double check and make sure there was not more mold and there wasn’t all was good.

Step Three: Cut and Boil Pumpkin

Cut you pumpkin into medium sized pieces and place in a pot. Fill your pot with water and boil for 1 hour.

Step Four: Blend the Pumpkin

Once cooled, peel the pumpkin and place in your vitamix, blender or food processor. Blend on high until very smooth.

Step Five: Store Your Fresh Pumpkin Puree

When its all blended smooth and the perfect pumpkin puree, pour it into mason jars, zip-lock bags or any airtight container you plan to store it in. You can leave it in the fridge for 7-10 days or in the freezer for up to a year. I like to freeze mine and use it through out the fall season in all my pies, breads and soups.

Is it better to Boil, Bake or Steam your Pumpkin?

When you boil your pumpkin, the pumpkin absorbs a little bit of water. When you bake it some of the water evaporates. You’ll notice the difference when you go to blend it. If you bake it you will most likely have to add water in the blender to get the pumpkin smooth. When you boil your pumpkin you will not need to add any water.

When I bake my pumpkin I also add a little bit of water to may baking sheet with my pumpkin and so that my pumpkin doesn’t dry out. It works great and I never have to add water when blending.

When steaming my pumpkin I still didn’t need to add water but the pumpkin puree was defiantly thicker then when I boiled it.

I don’t think if makes a big difference on whether you boil, bake or steam. The process is very similar and so are the results.

FAQs

What is the difference between a carving pumpkin and a baking pumpkin?

A baking pumpkin (or pie pumpkin) will be a little smaller and heavy for its size. The heavier the pumpkin typically the better for baking. Baking pumpkins have thicker walls and are sweeter then the carving pumpkins.

A carving pumpkin is typically large and light. The inside walls are thinner and stringy. Carving pumpkins are not as sweet and once cooked can have a little bit of a bitter taste to them. The taste is not always noticeable in your recipes but the baking pumpkins make your desserts and soups and breads so much better.

Can I make pumpkin puree from a carving pumpkin?

If you have already carved the pumpkin and you had it as decoration for Halloween then NO. Once its been cut open the pumpkin it will start to slowly rot. So do not use your carved pumpkins to for eating. You can however bake our boil the scraps and pieces you cut out of your pumpkin and make them into pumpkin puree rather then throwing them in the trash.

If you are just asking if the carving type of pumpkin is good for eating and making puree, the answer is… they are not the best. Carving pumpkins are edible and taste fine. They are not as sweet as baking pumpkins and they are stringy. They also often have thinner walls not giving you as much meat to work with.

Can I make pumpkin puree from pumpkin guts?

Pumpkin guts are the stringy insides that we pull out of our carving pumpkins. They are not ideal for making pumpkin puree but you absolutely can. I would add them to a pot of boiling water for 30 minutes then drain the water and put them in the blender. You will then have a little pumpkin puree to eat.

What is the best pumpkin to use for puree?

The best pumpkins are the baking pumpkins. There are lots of different verities of baking pumpkins and they are all a little different but will still work great for cooking and baking with. There are some verities that are considered carving pumpkins because of there thin walls and light weight.

Pumpkin Puree (Boiling)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 Pumpkin

Instructions

1. Cut your pumpkin in half and clean out the seeds.
2. Cut pumpkin into medium-large pieces.
3. Place your pumpkin pieces in a large pot and fill it with water.
4. Boil the pumpkins for 1 hour, then turn off the heat.
5. Peal the pumpkin pieces and place the pumpkin in a blender or food processor and blend till smooth.
6. Store in a mason jar, air tight container or zip-lock bag for 7-10 days in the refrigerator or the freezer for up to a year.

The post How to Make Pumpkin Puree by Boiling appeared first on Embracing The Home.

Ingredients for Caramel Dip

Sugar

Sugar is the main ingredients in caramel syrup. I have no experience substituting any other ingredients. I do not thing honey or maple syrup will work the same at all but monk fruit sweetener might work the same.

Water

In order for the sugar to not burn we add a little bit of water for the sugar to melt in. As the sugar caramelizes the water will evaporate and you will just be left with yummy hot caramelized sugar.

Butter

The fat from the butter is what is going to help keep our caramelized sugar from becoming hard like candy.

Cream

The cream will also help the caramelized sugar from recrystallizing and keep it a smooth syrup. Too much cream will cause the caramel to be too runny not suitable to dip in. Not enough cream and cause the caramel to recrystallize and crunchy rather than smooth.

Salt

If you like salted caramel feel free add more salt. A little salt is good, more salt is sometimes just a bit better! Add your salt to taste and make it your own.

Enhance the flavor with good salt like Redmond Real Salt. If you are looking for a unrefined natural salt with multiple minerals and electrolytes harvested in the United States of America, then look no further. Redmond Real Salt is full of flavor and nutrients and harvested out of the ancient seabed deep beneath Central Utah.

Vanilla

I like to use vanilla powder rather than extract. You can find the vanilla powder on amazon. This powder is a 1:1 ratio for vanilla extract so you don’t have to do any extra math when substituting. I like the flavor a lot and its been a great addition to my pantry.

How To Make Caramel Syrup Dip

Caramelize Sugar and Water

In a heavy small pot or heavy bottom sauce pan mix together the water and sugar on medium heat. Let the mixture bubble and not get to hot to a rolling boil. Do not stir and just let it bubble and caramelize for about 10 minutes. The sugar should darken into a light amber caramel color and will have a liquid consistency that will thicken when it cools.

Add Butter and Cream

Turn the heat on low and add the butter first. Mix until thoroughly melted then add the cream. Bring back to that bubbly/but not a boil state to ensure its mixed completely.

Add Salt and Vanilla

Take off the heat and add the salt and vanilla. Stir or whisk them in and let cool. Pour into a glass jar and let it thicken while cooling down completely.

Storing Your Caramel

Store your caramel in a air tight container in the refrigerator until the expiration date of the cream that you used. You can also freeze to keep good for a little longer.

You can store to save for later OR you can make a fun dessert date with your kids with fun topping like sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, coconut, or walnuts for you apple slices and caramel!

Caramel Syrup Dip

Prep Time: 1 minute

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 11 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

1. In a heavy bottom sauce pan caramelize the sugar and water over medium heat. Let the sugar and water bubble but not full on boil for about 10 minutes. Don’t stir but keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn. Once the sugar is a nice amber color and thickening up like honey turn the heat on low.
2. Immediately add the butter and whisk in.
3. Once the butter is all melted, mixed the heavy cream in slowly while continuing to whisk. Turn the heat off.
4. Whisk in the salt and vanilla.
5. Let cool then store in a glass jar. It will thicken as it cools.

Enjoy Your Caramel More Recipes!

The post How To Make Caramel Syrup Dip appeared first on Embracing The Home.

Ingredients for Coconut Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Puree

You can use canned pumpkin or fresh pumpkin for this pie. I like to cook a pumpkin or two at the beginning of the fall season and freeze my pumpkin puree for all my pumpkin recipes throughout the festive months. If you are using a whole pumpkin check out my post on how to make pumpkin puree.

Coconut Milk

I use Thai Kitchen canned unsweetened coconut milk. Not the cream, not the sweetened milk just the regular unsweetened milk. The coconut milk is the only ingredient in the filling to give us a coconut flavor. If you want the coconut flavor to be stronger I suggest putting 1/2 a cup of coconut flakes in your pie crust. This will give you the coconut flavor throughout the whole pie.

Sugar

Sugar is our sweetener, you can substitute with a 1:1 ratio of Monk Fruit Sweetener. I have never tired to substitute honey or maple syrup for this pumpkin pie recipe but I believe it could be done. If you do try consider reducing the milk by 1/4 of a cup to make up for the added moisture.

I like to use organic cane sugar from Azure Standard. If you’ve never heard from azure standard before you should check our my Azure Standard Review to learn more.

Eggs

Eggs are a binding agent in baking as well as adding a creamy texture from the rich egg yoke.

Spices

Our spices include cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger. These spices add so much flavor and you can easily adjust the amounts and create a whole new flavor. If you favor one flavor over the other you can experiment by adding a extra 1/4 teaspoon to the spice you want to stand out. Reduce another spice you want to be more subtle then the others.

I also really like freshly ground nutmeg. This is optional but if you have never tried grating your own nutmeg from whole cloves you are missing out. I love the taste of nutmeg and fresh nutmeg does not disappoint

Salt

Enhance the flavor with good salt like Redmond Real Salt. If you are looking for a unrefined natural salt with multiple minerals and electrolytes harvested in the United States of America, then look no further. Redmond Real Salt is full of flavor and nutrients and harvested out of the ancient seabed deep beneath Central Utah.

Cornstarch/Flour

We don’t need much but just a little flour or cornstarch mixed in to our pie batter thickens our pie just enough to keep hold our pie together, especially when we cut into it.

How To Make Coconut Pumpkin Pie

Make a Pie Crust

With whatever pie crust you choose add 1/2 a cup of coconut flakes in the same time you add the flour. This will give our pie a more rounded coconut flavor.

Mix Wet Ingredients Together

In a bowl mix together the pumpkin, eggs, and coconut milk till smooth

Add Dry Ingredients

Then add the sugar, spices and cornstarch or flour. Mix until thoroughly combined.

Pour Into Prepared Pie Crust

In a 9 inch pie pan prepare you crust and then pour you coconut pumpkin filling into your unbaked prepared pie crust.

Bake

Bake at 400 degree for 10 minutes then reduce the heat to 350 for 35 minutes. I recommend placing a crust shield on at the same time you reduce the heat. The shield will protect the edge of your crust from burning while the center of the pie continues to cook.

Let Cool and Serve

Take the pie out of the oven when the middle no longer jiggles when the pie is moved. That is how you will know it is cooked all the way through. Let the pie cool for at least 1 hour, I’d personally give it 3 hours before cutting into it. Serve with homemade whipped cream or a fresh glass of eggnog and enjoy!

Coconut Pumpkin Pie

Yield: 1, 9 inch pie

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Cups Pumpkin Puree
• 3/4 Cup Coconut Milk
• 2 Eggs
• 3/4 Cup Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/2 Teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 Teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 Salt
• 2 Tablespoon Cornstarch or Flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flakes for pie crust

Instructions

1. Make your pie crust with 1/2 cup coconut flakes added in with the flour.
2. In a bowl mix together the pumpkin puree, eggs and coconut milk till smooth.
3. Add in the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt and cornstarch or flour to your pumpkin mixture and combined thoroughly.
4. Roll your crust out and place it in your 9 inch pie pan. Pour your pumpkin filling into your prepared pie pan.
5. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes then reduce the heat to 350 and bake for 35 minutes. Use a pie crust shield half way into baking to keep the crust from burning.
6. Take out of the oven when the center of the pie is not longer jiggly. The pie filling may also start to crack and that is a sign that it is done. Let cool for at least 1 hour, 3 hours is best.
7. Serve with some fresh homemade whipped cream or a nice cup of eggnog and enjoy!

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The post Easy Coconut Pumpkin Pie Recipe appeared first on Embracing The Home.

Ingredients for Gluten Free Pie Crust

Almond Flour

Almond flour is a naturally gluten free flour that taste amazing! Its perfect for all different types of desserts. It is light and fluffy and the flavor is nutty and sweet. However, sadly it is expensive, 2lbs is typically around $10 at Walmart and amazon.

Gluten Free All Purpose Flour

These recipe calls for both almond flour and all purpose flour. The almond flour can be a bit crumbly we do half almond and half all purpose flour to help hold things together. You can use any gluten free all purpose flour for this recipe.

Sugar

A little white sugar in this recipe helps flavor the crust by sweetening it just a little making it complementary to our sweet pie filling. A little sugar will go a long way for our pie crust so we don’t need a lot. You could also use Monk Fruit Sweetener or honey as a substitute if needed.

Cold Butter

Cold butter is extremely important. The colder the butter the better. I freeze my butter for pie crusts. Keeping the butter cold keeps the water that’s in the butter from absorbing into the flour too soon. We want the steam from the water in the butter to make lots of air pockets in order to create glorious flakes in our crust. If you let the butter get warm the flour will absorb the water and you will get a dense crust.

Apple Cider Vinegar

With regular flours the acids in apple cider vinegar slow down the gluten production and keep the dough from becoming elastic like. Because we are using gluten free flour already this ingredient isn’t as needed but I still like to add it. I think the ACV and the butter together create better air pockets and help make a soft and flaky crust. Remember to use COLD apple cider vinegar, if your liquid is cold your butter will also stay cold.

An Ice Cube (optional)

You can either place your ACV in the freezer for 20 minutes or so in order to get it cold or you can place an ice cube in it. I usually use an ice cube but its up to you. You will not be putting the ice cube in the dough. Its just to make your apple cider vinegar cold.

Salt

Enhance the flavor with good salt like Redmond Real Salt. If you are looking for a unrefined natural salt with multiple minerals and electrolytes harvested in the United States of America, then look no further. Redmond Real Salt is full of flavor and nutrients and harvested out of the ancient seabed deep beneath Central Utah.

How To Make Gluten Free Pie Crust

Mix Dry Ingredients

In a food processor (or by hand) mix together the almond flour, all purpose flour, sugar and salt. Pulse a few time to get them mixed together.

Add Cold Butter and Apple Cider Vinegar

Now cut the cold butter in cubes and add them into the flour, pulse in the food processor or use a fork or your hands to mix the cold butter in without it melting. Add a teaspoon at a time of the apple cider vinegar till the dough looks like little beads.

Form and Refrigerate

Dump the bead like dough onto a clean surface or parchment paper and form into two discs without overworking the dough. Cover in a air tight container or zip-lock bag and place in the refrigerator for1 hour.

Roll Out and Place in Pie Pan

Roll out on a piece of parchment paper or wax paper with a little bit of flour. The parchment paper will make it easier to place into the pan as the dough if very fragile. Roll our till to 9 to 10 inches round and place your pie pan on top. Flip the pie crust over with the pan underneath it. It will break a little. Because it has no gluten it will not hold together very well. Don’t work about that. Just take the pieces that fall of and mold them back into the pie pan till every crack is covered again.

Bake

Bake according to your pie filling recipe and enjoy!

Gluten Free Pie Crust

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups almond flour
• 3/4 gluten free all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 ice cube
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 4-6 tablespoons cold water
• 1/2 cup cold butter (1 stick)

Instructions

1. Combine, water, apple cider vinegar and ice cube in a small bowl to get cold.
2. Add almond flour and all purpose flour, sugar and salt to your food processor. Pulse to mix together.
3. Cut you cold or frozen butter in cubes and add to food processor. Pulse a few time till it it starts to combine with the flour mixture.
4. Add water/cider mixture 1 tablespoon at a time while continuing pulsing the food processor till you dough starts to look like little beads.
5. Place dough on floured surface and bring together and divide into two discs.
6. Wrap discs in plastic wrap or a zip-lock bag and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
7. Roll out dough and place in pie pan. Gluten free dough does not hold together very well. It will crack and that's okay. When you place it in the pan it will likely fall apart. Just piece it back together and fill in any cracks once its in the pan. Follow your pie recipes for baking instructions

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The post The Best Gluten Free Pie Crust (almond flour) appeared first on Embracing The Home.

There are 3 parts to making this pie.

• The Custard
• The Pie Crust
• The Whipped Cream

Ingredients For Chocolate Pie Filling

Sugar

We will use white sugar for the chocolate pie filling sweetening our cocoa powder. You could also substitute the sugar in the recipe with monk fruit sweetener.

Eggs

These eggs are going to create a nice chocolate custard by thickening and holding together all our other ingredients as they cook together. I do not recommend substituting this part of the recipe.

Cocoa Powder

You can use any brand of cocoa powder. Typically the cheaper ones are not as rich in flavor and the name brand more expensive ones like Ghirardelli, today I used Toll House and it turned out great. The better quality cocoa powder the less likely the chance of your chocolate tasting bitter.

Heavy Whipping Cream

For the filling I use heavy whipping cream but this could be partially substituted. You could use milk, half & half or cream for the custard part of the filling. We will however be folding in whipped cream into the custard to make it thicker and lighter. The heavy whipping cream cannot be substituted for making the whipped cream. So if you don’t have enough heavy whipping cream for both parts substitute for the custard and use your heavy whipping cream for the whipped cream.

Dark Chocolate Chips

You could use semi-sweet or milk chocolate but I think dark chocolate is the best for this recipe. Its slight bitter, rich flavor elevates our chocolate palate in this epic chocolate pie.

Butter

Unsalted butter is best for this recipe. I keep a pound or two of unsalted butter in the freezer for baking with. That way I don’t have to run to the store or hope something doesn’t turn out too salty.

Vanilla Powder

I like to use vanilla powder in place of vanilla extract. The two are equal in flavor, I believe the price for the powder is cheaper then the extract, but mostly I feel more confident in measuring out the powder than extract so its a lot easier for me to write recipes out using the powder.

How To Make Chocolate Pie Filling

Make The Custard

In a sauce pan combined sugar, eggs, cocoa powder, and 1 cup cream. Wisk together then use a spoon or spatuala to continually stir as you heat it on medium heat till it thickens up. Be patient, this could take 20 or even 30 minutes. Keep an eye on it and don’t let it get to hot to quickly. You don’t want it to come to a boil, just barely a simmer. You may need to turn the heat up and down a little for best result.

The mixture with the heavy whipping cream is thick already. If you substitute for milk this step may take a little longer because milk has less of a fat content to it. It will get thicker as the eggs cook, that is our goal in this step.

Add Chocolate Chip, Butter and Vanilla

One the custard is thickened, turn it off the heat and put in the butter, chocolate chips and vanilla. Still to melted in.

Strain the Custard

Sometimes there are clumps of egg whites that don’t get mixed in properly. To make our pie as smooth as we can we will strain, or push though a mesh strainer. If the mesh strainer is to fine we will have a hard time with our thick custard. I suggest a medium mesh strainer. It will get all the egg bits out.

Refrigerate

Before adding in the whipped cream we need to cool our custard down. Let cool on the counter top for 15 minutes to so till its room temperature (or close enough) and place the bowl in the refrigerator to cool down till cold. Refrigerate for a least 1 hour, 2 is better.

Make Whipped Cream

Read below.

Fold 1/2 The Whipped Cream Into The Custard

Take about 2 cups or 1/2 of the whipped cream and fold in gently to the custard.

Pour Custard Into The Cooked Pie Crust

Pour the custard into the cook and cooled down pie crust.

Add The Rest of The Whipped Cream To The Pie

Take the rest of your whipped cream and plop it on top of the custard. Sprinkle a little cocoa powder on the top for fun!

Ingredients For Chocolate Crust

Flour

All-Purpose Flour. We are making a dessert so although most of the time I like to use whole grain flours for at least half of my recipe when making desserts I go for 100% all purpose flour. It will create a lighter dessert while also allow the sweet and chocolate flavors to come shine though without the extra flavor of whole grain flours.

Cocoa Powder

You can use any brand of cocoa powder. Typically the cheaper ones are not as rich in flavor and the name brand more expensive ones like Ghirardelli, today I used Toll House and it turned out great. The better quality cocoa powder the less likely the chance of your chocolate tasting bitter.

Baking Soda

Baking soda will give our crust a nice puffing rise that will collapse down on its self and creating almost a brownie or cookie like texture for our crust.

Softened Butter

Typically we use cold or frozen butter to make a pie crust but in this recipe we are using the baking soda and not the melting butter with its steam pockets to act as our rising agent.

White Sugar & Brown Sugar

In this recipe we will use both white sugar and brown sugar. You could use 100% white or brown for this recipe if you want or if you are out of one or the other. If you are out of brown sugar you could add a little molasses to the recipe to add the brown sugar flavor. (read here to find out more about making brown sugar from scratch) You could also substitute the sugar in the recipe with monk fruit sweetener.

Egg

We use 1 egg for our pie crust and this egg will help hold the pie together, along with the butter so we don’t end up with a crumbly crust.

Vanilla Powder

I like to use vanilla powder in place of vanilla extract. The two are equal in flavor, I believe the price for the powder is cheaper then the extract, but mostly I feel more confident in measuring out the powder than extract so its a lot easier for me to write recipes out using the powder.

How To Make a Chocolate Crust

Mix Dry Ingredients

In a bowl mix together flour, coco powder, baking soda, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla powder.

Add Wet Ingredients

Add the butter and egg and mix with a spatula or spoon and then eventually your clean, washed hands.

Form to Pie Pan

Plop on to your 9 inch pie pan and press with your hands molding it to the pan.

Bake & Cool

Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. When you take it out of the oven it will be puffed up quite a bit. You can let it collapse on its own or help it out by poking it with a fork. I like to poke it.

Ingredients For Homemade Whipped Cream

Heavy Whipping Cream

You need heavy whipping cream, not just cream, not half and half, not milk. The good thick heavy whipping cream. Its literally in the name whipping cream. That’s the one you want for whipped cream.

Powdered Sugar

Just a little powdered sugar. We don’t need to make our cream as sweet as our dessert we are putting it on, we just want to lighten it a little. If you don’t have powdered sugar you and make your own by added a cup of white sugar to you vita-mix blender, food processor or coffee grinder and blended till its powder.

Vanilla Powder

I like to use vanilla powder in place of vanilla extract. The two are equal in flavor, I believe the price for the powder is cheaper then the extract, but mostly I feel more confident in measuring out the powder than extract so its a lot easier for me to write recipes out using the powder.

How to Make Whipped Cream

Step One: Whip the Cream!

In your Kitchen Aid or a bowl and hand mixer or by hand whisk the cream by its self until it comes to a soft peak.

A soft peak is when the cream gets just thick enough to stand up yet still a little floppy, not firm enough to be molded.

Step Two: Add Powdered Sugar and Vanilla

Once your cream is at a soft peak add the powdered sugar and vanilla and whisk still the cream is firm. Don’t over whip your cream or it will start to separate the cream and the little bit of milk and start turning into butter. When firm you are done!

Storing Whipped Cream

Store you whipped cream in a air tight container with a little room on top. We don’t want to smash the cream down and lose its fluffiness. Keep in refrigerator.

You can keep your whipped cream in the fridge up until the expiration date on the whipping cream carton.

Chocolate Pie

Yield: 1, 9 inch pie

Prep Time: 2 hours

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Additional Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes

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Ingredients

Chocolate Pie Filling

Toggle ingredient group

• 1 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 4 Eggs
• 2 Tablespoon Cocoa Powder
• 1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1 1/2 Cups Dark Chocolate Chip
• 1/4 Cup Butter
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Powder/Extract

Chocolate Pie Crust

Toggle ingredient group

• 1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/2 Cup Softened Butter
• 1/3 Cup Sugar
• 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1 Eggs
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Powder/Extract

Whipped Cream

Toggle ingredient group

• 2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
• 3 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Powder/Extract

Instructions

Make the Custard

1. In a sauce pan mix together the some of the filling ingredients. The sugar, eggs cocoa powder, and heavy whipping cream. Heat the custard on medium heat. Don't let it get too hot, stir continually till the custard is thick.
2. Once the custard is thick turn the heat off and pour in the chocolate chips, butter and vanilla. Stir in till melted.
3. Strain the custard in a medium mesh strainer to get any eggs clumps outs.
4. Refrigerate the custard for 1-2 hours.

Make the Crust

1. In a bowl mix together the dry ingredients, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, white sugar and brown sugar. Then add the butter, egg and vanilla. Mix with a spoon then eventually you'll want to use your hands.
2. Mold the crust into the pie pan with your hands.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. When you take it out of the oven it will be puffy it should collapse and come down. You can let it fall on its own or you can poke it with a fork.
4. Let cool competently before adding the filling.

Make Whipped Cream

1. In a bowl with a hand mixer or whisk or in
   your Kitchen Aid mixer, pour 2 cups of heavy whipping cream. Whisk on
   the highest setting till the cream forms a soft peak.
2. Once the cream is at a soft peak add the powdered sugar and vanilla and continue whipping until the cream is a stiff peak and whipped cream texture.
3. Divide the whipped cream in half.

Assemble The Pie

1. Gently fold in half of the whipped cream into the pie custard and pour into the cooled pie crust.
2. Take the other half of the whipped cream and spread or pipe it onto the top of your pie.
3. Refrigerate for 4 hours before serving.

The post The Best Chocolate Pie Ever appeared first on Embracing The Home.

Why Is It Called Nantucket Pie?

This dessert could be considered more of a cobbler or cake but has the name Nantucket Pie. Why? It is said that this recipe was created first on the Island of Nantucket. Nantucket, as well as the surrounding New England area is knows for its abounded cranberry fields. The cranberry harvest time is from September-November making this a perfect recipe for the Thanksgiving and fall season. Some have even called this recipe “Cranberry Christmas Pie” due to its popularity during the fall and winter season.

Ingredients for Nantucket Cranberry Pie

Cranberries

You can use fresh or frozen cranberries for this recipe. I use frozen and it worked out perfect. Cranberries are a tart berry that are easily balance with just a bit of sugar for the perfect tart to sweet ratio. Cranberries are typically a seasonal ingredient in the grocery stores but I have been able to find them year round at AzureStandard.com. (click here to learn more about Azure Standard)

Sugar

To sweeten our pie we are going to use white sugar. You can substitute your sugar for monk fruit sweetener or even honey or maple syrup. I have not tested out these substitutes yet but plan on doing so this holiday season. I’ll let you know in the future if how they turn out. If you try them before me please let us know what you thought in the comments.

Pecans

A few chopped pecans go a long way in the recipe. They add a little needed texture to our soft cakey top and juicy cranberries by adding a little crunch every now and then. Just enough for maybe every other bite to have a little pecan. If you like more go ahead and add as many as you like.

You could also substitute the pecans for sliced almonds or walnuts if you prefer. Macadamia nuts would also be really good in the pie.

Eggs

Eggs keep the cakey part of our pie light yet holding together. We don’t want everything to fall apart but to hold together so every flavor is combined in each bite.

Melted Butter

Melted butter to create a yummy buttery cakey top to our pie. Melt your butter in the microwave or in a sauce pan on the stove.

Almond Flour

I love almond flour! The nutty flavor makes every dessert so much sweeter and brighter! Although I understand that not everyone loves it as much as myself or not everyone has it in their pantry ready to go. You can use all purpose flour for this recipe. Most recipes call for all purpose flour. Gluten free or regular all purpose flour still makes and excellent cake, but almond flour is the best.

Almond and Vanilla Extract

More almond flavor! and Vanilla. Again I love the almond flavor but if you don’t have almond extract you can skip it. The almond flour will still give you the almond flavor but it is nice to add a little more with the extract.

I like to use vanilla powder rather than extract. You can find the vanilla powder on amazon. This powder is a 1:1 ratio for vanilla extract so you don’t have to do any extra math when substituting. I like the flavor a lot and its been a great addition to my pantry.

Salt

Enhance the flavor with good salt like Redmond Real Salt. If you are looking for a unrefined natural salt with multiple minerals and electrolytes harvested in the United States of America, then look no further. Redmond Real Salt is full of flavor and nutrients and harvested out of the ancient seabed deep beneath Central Utah.

How To Make Nantucket Cranberry Pie

Step 1: Preheat Your Oven to 350 Degrees.

Step 2: Cranberries!

Mix together the cranberries, pecans and 1/2 cup sugar. Simple mix so that the sugar covers the cranberries and pour into you 9 inch pie pan.

Step 3: Make The Batter

In a separate bowl mix together the almond flour, salt, vanilla, eggs, melted butter, 1/2 cup sugar. The batter will be a little thick.

Step 4: Spread Batter on Cranberries

Spoon the batter on the top of the cranberries. Do not mix. Spread the batter to cover the top of the cranberries.

Step 5: Bake.

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown an a toothpick, when inserted, come out clean. Let cool and enjoy!

Nantucket Cranberry Pie

Yield: 1, 9 inch pie pan

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

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Ingredients

Cranberry Filling

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• 2 1/2 Cups Cranberries
• 1/2 Cup Pecan
• 1/2 Cup Sugar

Topping

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• 1 Cup Almond Flour
• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Powder/Extract
• 1/2 Teaspoon Almond Extract
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 Cup Melted Butter

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a 9 inch pie pan mix together 2 1/2 cups cranberries, 1/2 cup pecans and 1/2 cup sugar.
3. In a bowl mix together the batter ingredients, 1 cup almond flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder/extract and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup melted butter.
4. Spoon the batter on top of the cranberries and spread on top. Do not mix in, just spread on top.
5. Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool and enjoy!

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The post Nantucket Cranberry Pie, Gluten Free Desserts appeared first on Embracing The Home.

Ingredients for Cranberry Apple Pie

Cranberries

You can use fresh or frozen cranberries for this recipe. I used frozen and let thaw for a few minutes as I was peeling and cutting the apples but thawing is optional. Cranberries are a tart berry that are easily balance with just a bit of sugar for the perfect tart to sweet ratio.

Cranberries are typically a seasonal ingredient in the grocery stores but I have been able to find them year round at AzureStandard.com. (click here to learn more about Azure Standard)

Apples

Granny Smith Green Apples are the best apples for pie. When cooked they stay soft while still holding their form. Other apples, like fugi or gala apples often fall apart creating more of an applesauce type texture rather than our desired pie filling texture.

White Sugar & Brown Sugar

In this recipe we will use both white sugar and brown sugar. You could use 100% white or brown for this recipe if you want or if you are out of one or the other. If you are out of brown sugar you could add a little molasses to the recipe to add the brown sugar flavor. (read here to find out more about making brown sugar from scratch) You could also substitute the sugar in the recipe to honey or maple syrup of monk fruit sweetener.

Lemon Juice & Zest

Add a little more tart and zest with lemon juice and zest from 1 lemon. Lemon and cranberry are a beautiful flavor combination. The lemon helps the cranberry shine without overpowering the apple flavor.

Flour or Cornstarch

To help thicken the filling to avoid runny apple juice everywhere you can add either flour or cornstarch. The both do the job perfectly. Some people say they can taste the flour and so they prefer cornstarch… Some think the cornstarch doesn’t mix as well so they like flour… I’ve never had problem with either one and I believe its simple preference. If you are looking or a gluten free pie filling recipe use the cornstarch.

Vanilla

Vanilla provides warm undertones in our flavors adding another complementary layer to our apples and cranberries. Typically in an apple pie we have a heavy presence of spices with cinnamon and all-spice or cloves and ginger. This recipe we want the main flavor to be the cranberries and apples without the overwhelm of the spices. Vanilla helps us achieve this.

Cinnamon & Nutmeg

Although we don’t want the spices to overpower our cranberries I still add a little for well rounded flavors. We will not add the all-spice or clovers or ginger but only the cinnamon and nutmeg for our cranberry apple pie. These two spices add just enough spice to complement the apples but not to much to overpower the cranberries.

Salt

Enhance the flavor with good salt like Redmond Real Salt. If you are looking for a unrefined natural salt with multiple minerals and electrolytes harvested in the United States of America, then look no further. Redmond Real Salt is full of flavor and nutrients and harvested out of the ancient seabed deep beneath Central Utah.

How To Make Cranberry Apple Pie

Step One: Make your crust.

I always makes my crust the day or two before. You can make the crust the same day but be sure to let it refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

I personally really like the gingerbread pie crust recipe with the apple pie but a classic pie crust works better for our cranberry pie.

Step Two: Peel, Core and Cut Apples

Peel, core and slice about 5 large apples for your cranberry apple pie. I highly recommend getting an apple peeler to save so much time! You can peel and core and cut by hand, I’ve done that for years but I love my new apple peeler and never want to go back.

Step 3: Mix Pie Filling Ingredients

In a large pot combine the cranberries, apples, sugar, lemon juice and zest, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and vanilla powder all together.

Step 4: Cook Filling on Stove Top

Cook the filling in a large pot covered with a lid for 30-60 minutes. Cooking the apples before baking insures an even bake between the apples and the crust. This allows my to take the pie out of the oven as soon as the crust is done without having to guess if my filling is also done.

When you cook, make sure you cook to the exact texture you want your apples to be with your apple pie. The apples will not get any softer when you are baking it. Once cooked and cooled something happens to the apples and they don’t ‘cook’ any more after the first cook. So Don’t under cook your apples or they will be crunchy in your apple pie.

Step 5: Let the Apples Cool

Cool the cranberries and apples completely before adding them to your pie crust. If you’ve read my 5 tips on a perfect crust you will understand why. The butter in the crust needs to stay cool until its in the oven. You don’t want it to melt until its time for it to create the flaky air bubbles in the crust. So do not put warm apple pie filling in the crust or you might melt the butter too soon and the butter will absorb the flour and you will get a dense crust.

I have often made the filling the day before and let it sit in the fridge overnight before baking on Thanksgiving day.

Step 6: Bake Pie

Now its time to bake your cranberry apple pie. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes and then reduce the temperature to 325. We want the crust to get hot so that the butter can melt quickly and the steam can do its job in making a flaky crust, then we reduce the temperature so that we don’t burn the tops of the crust.

Step 7: Let Pie Cool and Enjoy

One the pie crust is completely cook your pie is done! Let cool on counter or refrigerator for at least 4 hours before cutting into. Enjoy with some homemade whipped cream!

Cranberry Apple Pie

Yield: 1, 9 inch pie

Addtional Time: 2 hours

Stove Cook Time: 30 minutes

Bake Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes

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Ingredients

• 2 Cups Flour
• 1 Cup Butter (Two Sticks)
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 2 Tablespoon Sugar
• 2-4 Tablespoons Water
• 2 Tablespoons
• 1 Ice Cube

Cranberry Apple Pie Filling

Toggle ingredient group

• 1 1/2 Cup Cranberries (Fresh or Frozen)
• 5 Large Green Apples
• 1/2 Cup White Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
• 1 Teaspoon Lemon Zest
• 1/3 Cup Flour
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1 Teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla

Instructions

1. Make a pie crust and store in the refrigerator till ready to assemble.
2. Peel, core and cut all the apples.
3. Mix in a large pot the cut apples, cranberries, lemon juice and zest, white sugar, brown sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Cook the filling on the stove top for about 30 minutes or until apples are soft. To no UNDER cook. Cook until the apples are the desired texture for your finished pie.
4. Let the cranberry apple filling cool down completely.
5. Prepare your pan with your pie crust and pour in the filling. Place your top crust on the pie over the filling and bake!
6. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 325 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes. Let cool and enjoy with some fresh whipped cream!

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Azure Market Organics Cranberries, Whole, Organic, Frozen

Monk Fruit In The Raw Sweetener Baker’s Bag, 16 oz., Keto Certified Monk Fruit Sweetener, Zero Calories, Zero Net Carbs, Non-GMO Project Verified

The Spice Way Nutmeg Whole – (4 oz)

Cook’s, Pure Vanilla Powder, World’s Finest Gourmet Fresh Premium Vanilla, 4.5 oz

The post Cranberry Apple Pie Simple and Sweet Recipes appeared first on Embracing The Home.