chez gorgeoux: lick your fingers winter pie Tweet

roasted apples & coconut flakes, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

It all started with these apples. They were sitting around in our house for weeks, getting bad. He bought them thinking we must eat fruits. He even picked Pink Lady, a variety I enjoy. But the truth is... we don't eat enough fruit. And neither of us loves apples. It took us only two days to eat a melon, alright? And weeks to ignore a few apples, which made me throw them in the oven before they're fully dead. Except they didn't go in alone: there was lime juice, rum, brown sugar and coconut flakes. I like to play in the kitchen. Of course they smelled like heaven while baking, but were too hot to serve right after dinner and... I forgot about them until it was too late to eat—we avoid going to sleep on a full stomach. Next day I served a few of them as breakfast and while he liked them, he complained they were too sweet. I do have a tooth for that, but they were just right, believe me. To cut a long story short, I realised I should bake them in a pie to address our different sweet teeth and to have a sweet something around, which he likes. But what pastry could take this beloved load?

rough puff pastry, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

Enter Gordon Ramsey's rough puff pastry recipe, the first Gordon Ramsey recipe I ever try, and the first Gordon Ramsey providing that works for me. Ever. It takes about an hour to get it over with, and if that scares you, know that proper puff pastry takes three days. You know I can't cook slowly, it's just that fast is function of dish.

sugar coated walnuts, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

While the pastry was chilling for me in the fridge, wanting to keep busy and play some more, I tried to make caramel and then drop walnuts in it. I managed to coat them in sugar, which is almost as tasty. Almost. It works just right as a snack and definitely well for filling or toping pies, cakes, and other pastries.

puff pastry filling, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

Now the filling looked more serious and round. I was ready to wrap it up.

puff pastry brushed with milk, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

He suggested I brush it with milk, which is faster and cheaper than my egg yolk treatment.

slightly burnt, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

Though seeing the result, it could be that milk AND egg yolk (AND sugar?) are just the combo.

ready to eat, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

Not bad for my first puff pastry ever, rough or not, my first attempt to make caramel and, further, caramelise one thing or other, and baking something you just thought of and don't quite know how long to keep in the oven. Next step? Perfect it.