Pumpkin Pie | WhyDid.com

Why Did You Eat That: How Do You Like Them Apples?

By Kirsten|November 22nd, 2011|Recipes, Why Did You Eat That?|

It seems like during this time of year pumpkins get all the attention. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin cupcakes… the list goes on and on and on. Now, let’s be serious, I love pumpkins as much as the next gal, but sometimes you (and your sweet tooth) crave something a little different for dessert. Boy, do I have a treat (literally) for you. I stumbled upon a super easy, super delicious recipe for baked apples that will blow your mind. Now, I am no pastry chef, but I can read directions. At first, this recipe may seem daunting, but I promise it’s easier than pie (did you catch that one?). It takes a bit of attention, so you are gonna have to get up during commercial breaks of Real Housewives of ______, but it will be well worth it.

Ingredients:

For Baked Apples

8 sweet apples, Gala or Fuji
Butter
1/2 cup pecan pieces
8 ounces mascarpone
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 orange, zest only
1 cup apple cider
1/4 cup brandy

For Crumble Top

1 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3 ounces butter, cold

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Generously spread butter on a 9″ x 13″ baking tray.
Slice top and bottoms of each apple to make level. Hollow apple with a core to remove stems and seeds. Cut skin in vertical or horizontal stripes to give a decorative look, if desired.
Make crumble by combining flour, brown sugar, salt, and sugar in a mixer bowl. Cut butter into smaller pieces. Combine butter and dry ingredients until crumbly and sandy. Keep in refrigerator until needed.
For the filling, mix mascarpone, brown sugar, dried fruit, salt, cinnamon and orange zest until combined.
Fill apples tightly with filling and place in buttered pan.
Top with crumble. Pack it well on top, cut portion of apple.
Pour apple cider and brandy around the apples.
Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes.
Baste apples with juice every 20 minutes.
Allow to cool for 20 minutes before serving. Drizzle with cider and brandy baking liquid.

Served with vanilla bean ice cream and perhaps a drizzle of caramel… Mind. Blowing. So, seriously, how do you like them apples?

xx,
WhyDid

Why Did You Eat That: Not Pumpkin Muffins

By Kirsten|November 7th, 2011|Recipes, Why Did You Eat That?|

By the end of October, I’ve overindulged in pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin cupcakes, and pumpkin pie. To be honest, the thought of pumpkin anything makes me want to high kick a gourd… at least until Thanksgiving and it’s time for pumpkin pie again. Just because I want nothing to do with this orange vegetable (or is it a fruit?) doesn’t mean that I don’t want delicious baked goods. That is why I searched for a non-pumpkin, yet still seasonally festive snack. And would you just look what I found?

Ingredients:

2 cups flour, plus 1/2 tablespoon, divided
1 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup dried cranberries, or 2 cups fresh cranberries, chopped
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
Cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Spray two eight-cup muffin tins with cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Make an indentation in the middle.
In a large glass measuring cup, mix orange rind, juice, oil and egg. Pour mixture into flour indentation and stir until everything is just combined.
In a small bowl, stir dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, and remaining 1/2 tablespoon flour. Stir into batter.
Divide batter evenly among muffin tins. Sprinkle with reserved 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake 15 minutes.
Remove from tins and cool on a wire rack.

Perfect with breakfast or warmed up with vanilla bean ice cream for dessert.
xx,
WhyDid

Why Did You Wear That: Pick of the Patch

By Kirsten|October 18th, 2011|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

As mentioned, this past weekend, we made the trek to Half Moon Bay for their annual pumpkin festival. We considered pulling a U-turn looking down the hill at the bumper to bumper traffic, but hung in there, because really… going to a pumpkin festival is the right thing to do, right? Maybe not. This promised pumpkin fest wasn’t quite the vision I’d conjured up in my head while sitting in two hours of traffic. But with all things in life, you must take the bad and learn from it. So, here are a few things I learned:

I’m not really a “festival” type of girl.
They’ll charge you four times as much for a pumpkin in the “country” as you’d pay for it at Safeway.
I do love a good petting zoo and still want that pony I yearned for as a little girl.
And I still remember all the words to Kenny Chesney’s She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy (you can take the girl out of West Virginia…).

Luckily, on the road to (and from) the festival, there were several roadside stands with their own pumpkin patches (and petting zoos), where we stopped. It probably would’ve been prudent to have just gone to the pumpkin patches in the first place and skipped the festival altogether. Again, we live and we learn. At least I was dressed for the occasion. Without fail, it is always 15+ degrees colder near the beach in Northern California… and always grey (way to go marine layer). Wearing a transitional chiffon dress with a cashmere grandfather cardigan was the perfect way to look pumpkin picking chic. Paired with flat lace up boots and tote, those pumpkins didn’t stand a chance. Had my tote been any bigger, you bet your ass I would have smuggled a potbelly pig home.

1. J. Crew Maisie Floral Print Silk Chiffon Dress, $395, 2. C by Bloomingdale’s Cashmere Grandfather Cardigan, $118.50, 3. Seychelles Jungle Lace-Up Short Boot, $165, 4. Rebecca Minkoff Dear Tote Bag, $330

In the end, we opted not to pay the $20 they were charging for a subpar pumpkin.

xx,

WhyDid

Monday Mashup: Oh me, Oh my, Oh Pumpkin Pie.

By Kirsten|January 25th, 2011|Monday Mashup|

I can not lie. I love to watch The Bachelor. Something about watching fifteen crazy women compete for the love of one (somewhat crazy) man is a recipe for sheer entertainment. Call me a sociologist, but I love watching human interaction… especially that of the cray cray kind. I remember thinking that sweet, sweet Emily (a children’s hospital event planner- WTF??!! – from Charlotte, North Carolina) was a force to be reckoned with… until tonight. I’m not sure what the hell is happening in that bachelorette (hen) house, but something bad happened. Week by week, the girls get drunker, crazier, and somehow oranger. Perhaps they should check the vents? Maybe even check where the closest power plant is located cause something ain’t right. Maybe I need to fix the settings on my TV, but I think Brad may want to invest in some protective radioactive clothing.