Ode to a (BBQ) Pastry Fork

When we combined kitchens after getting married, I discovered this "BBQ" fork that Mike owned:

I promptly commandeered it as my pastry fork. I love it! It is fantastic for pie crust. I use it for whisking the dry ingredients, cutting in the shortening, finishing cutting in the butter (I usually have to start the butter with a pastry blender, given the stiffness of the chill), and best of all blending in the ice water. Works like a charm, and makes pie crust come together so much more quickly.

Yes, I like to use my stand mixer bowl for pie crust - the high sides keeps me from 

getting flour everywhere when I get a bit overexuberant.

If you've never tried a pastry fork before, I highly recommend it.

Moving on, today's pie is apple. It is a recipe I have made several times before, always in my cast iron skillet. This time I wanted to try it out in the mini-cast iron skillets I purchased over Spring Break. And that means I got to use two pie birds!

The secret to this pie is the caramel on the bottom. I start off by melting a little butter with brown sugar until it's thick, and, well, caramel-like.

Mmmmm, caramel.

Bottom crust is laid right on top of the caramel.

Then the pie birds!

You've gotta start working quickly, because the crust softens quickly on top of that hot caramel. In go the apples!

Top crust, which at this point is kind of challenging to pinch with the softened bottom crust - totally worth it, though.

I brush the tops with a little reserved liquid from the apple mixture.

Into the oven! Not chancing a messy oven.

Fresh from the oven! Good thing I took precautions...

All ready to go - just needs a little ice cream. Another win for the mini skillet!

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