Easy as pie

In a medium saucepan, toss together diced apples and lemon juice. In a small bowl, mix together sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add sugar mixture to apples and cook over medium heat until it begins to bubble. Turn heat down to low and simmer 2 to 3 minutes as mixture thickens. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll disks of pie dough out flat. With a 4-inch round cookie cutter, cut dough into circles. Mold scraps together and roll out to the same thickness. Cut more circles and repeat until all dough has been cut into circles and transferred to the parchment-lined sheets with a spatula.

In a small bowl, whisk egg yolk with water to create an egg wash. With a small spoon, place a small amount of the apple filling in the center of each dough circle. Lightly brush edges of dough with egg wash, then fold each circle over the filling, creating half-moons. Pinch the edges closed and crimp with a fork. Brush tops with egg wash. Transfer baking sheets to refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Remove baking sheets from fridge and cut a few small slits in the top of each hand pie to allow steam to vent. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown, switching racks halfway through. Let cool 10 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks. In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Brush tops of pies with glaze and let set a few minutes before transferring to an airtight container. Pies keep for 2 days at room temperature or 4 days in the fridge. Makes approximately 12 hand pies.

Have a blind-baked traditional pie crust or a graham cracker crust (which would add more sweetness to the pie) ready to go in a pie pan.

Begin by measuring out the brown sugar, cinnamon, softened butter, and rum. With peel still on, cut 3 bananas in half, then slice in half lengthwise, following the curve of the banana. Set aside. In a large, wide skillet (stainless steel is best), place brown sugar, then cinnamon, then butter. Turn stove to medium-high heat and slowly stir as the sugar and butter begin to melt. Stir constantly to prevent sugar from scorching, about 3 minutes. Carefully peel and add quartered bananas to skillet, curve-side down; cook another 3 to 4 minutes, spooning sauce over the bananas and moving them around a bit. Turn off heat and add 1/4 cup rum. Using a long lighter or kitchen torch, catch the rum on fire, swirling the pan constantly until the flames disappear, about 30 seconds. (If you’d rather not use fire, continue cooking another minute on the stove.) Remove from heat and let cool 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, place vanilla pudding mix in a medium bowl and whisk in milk until smooth. Let rest a few minutes to thicken. Using tongs or a wide spoon, line pie crust with the cooked bananas slice-side down. Stir remaining sauce to break up any sugar. Fill in any holes where you can see the crust with the sauce. Pour half of the remaining sauce in with the pudding, whisking until smooth, then spoon pudding mixture over the bananas in an even layer. Cover pie and refrigerate 3 hours. Transfer remaining sauce to a microwavable container with lid and refrigerate.

When ready to decorate and serve, place cold water in a small microwavable bowl and sprinkle gelatin powder over it. Let sit for 5 minutes, then microwave for 10 to 15 seconds until just melted. Using a stand mixer, beat heavy whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed. When it begins to thicken, slowly drizzle in the melted gelatin and continue beating on medium-high until stiff peaks form. If desired, pour in tablespoon of rum and beat to incorporate. Slice remaining banana into ½-inch rounds.

Pull pie out of refrigerator and decorate with whipped cream and banana slices. Warm up remaining bananas foster sauce in microwave for 20 seconds or so and drizzle over top. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

In a 4-quart bowl (dough will need lots of room to rise), combine flour, salt, yeast, water, and 2 teaspoons olive oil. Mix with hands or a wooden spoon until no dry flour remains. Tightly cover bowl with plastic wrap so edges are sealed. Let rest 8 to 24 hours at a room temperature of between 65 and 75 F. Dough will rise significantly during this time. (If room temperature isn’t within this range, the time may need to shrink or expand to accommodate.)

Dust dough with flour and transfer to a floured surface. Split into two equal pieces. Take one of the pieces and tuck the dough underneath itself and rotate 5 to 10 times until it forms a smooth, tight ball. (Don’t knead or work the flour into the dough, just shape and tuck.) Repeat with other piece. At this point, you can refrigerate or freeze the dough for later use, or continue making the pizza. To store for later, seal in zipper bags, removing excess air. Once brought back to room temperature, continue the steps below.

Pour 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil into the middle of two pans, then use each dough ball to spread and fully coat the surface of the pans with oil. With the open palm of your hand, press dough down, flattening it slightly. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let dough sit at room temperature between 65 and 75 F for 2 hours. (At temperatures above or below this range, dough may rise faster or slower.)

After 2 hours, dough should be close to reaching the edges. Use your fingertips to press dough around until it reaches every corner. Pop any large bubbles you see. Small bubbles are fine to leave and some will pop naturally. Lift up edges of the dough to let any air bubbles escape from underneath.

Preheat oven to 550 F — this is not a misprint, the oven will be very hot! (If oven doesn’t reach 550 F, heat to 500 F and bake an extra 3 minutes.) With the back of a spoon, spread pizza sauce evenly across each dough, reaching all the way to the edges. Sprinkle cheese to the edges and add your preferred toppings.

Transfer one or both pans to the oven and bake 12 to 15 minutes, switching racks halfway through, until top is bubbly and bottom is crisp when lifted up with a thin spatula. Remove pizzas from oven and transfer to a cutting board for easy slicing. Serve immediately.

Summer or winter, fresh or frozen ingredients, this meal is sure to satisfy. Place diced potatoes in a large stockpot covered with water and boil 10 to 15 minutes, or until a fork can easily skewer a chunk of potato. Drain potatoes, place in a bowl with butter, and mash to desired texture. Cover and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium. Sauté onion, carrots, and celery in oil for 5 minutes. Add meat and crumble and cook until browned. Place cornstarch in a small bowl. Whisk in a little bit of the beef broth until a paste is formed, then whisk in the rest of the broth. Slowly pour into skillet with beef, add garlic, and continue cooking until sauce has thickened. Mix in peas, corn, tomatoes, spinach, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Place meat mixture in the bottom of a deep pie dish, casserole dish, or cast-iron skillet. Spread out smooth, then spoon mashed potatoes all the way to the edges. Place pie in oven with a cookie sheet underneath for any bubbling liquids that may leak over the edge. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Potatoes should be slightly browned.