To CELEBRATE the Release of My Valentine’s Day Novella, Two Hearts One Stone, I thought I’d take a second to bring you right into the story. This way, even if you can’t live it, you can at least taste it. 😉
When I wrote this piece, I pictured something so delectable, it was absolutely impossible for poor Henry to resist. Immediately after finishing the story, I had the strongest apple pie craving I have ever had. I have since been on the hunt for the perfect apple pie recipe. These are my findings, and I thought I would share.
First: You need the perfect crust
To every pound of flour allow the yolk of one egg, the juice of one lemon, half a saltspoonful of salt, cold water, one pound of fresh butter.
Put the flour onto the paste-board; make a hole in the centre, into which put the yolk of the egg, the lemon juice and salt; mix the whole with cold water (this should be iced in summer if convenient) into a soft, flexible paste with the right hand, and handle it as little as possible; then squeeze all the buttermilk from the butter, wring it in a cloth and roll out the paste; place the butter on this and fold the edges of the paste over, so as to hide it; roll it out again to the thickness of a quarter of an inch; fold over one-third, over which again pass the rolling-pin; then fold over the other third, thus forming a square; place it with the ends, top and bottom before you, shaking a little flour both under and over, and repeat the rolls and turns twice again as before. Flour a baking-sheet, put the paste on this and let it remain on ice or in some cool place for half an hour; then roll twice more, turning it as before; place it again upon the ice for a quarter of an hour, give it two more rolls, making seven in all, and it is ready for use when required.
Then you need the perfect filling:
3 pounds apples
1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup light molasses
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter (dot filling top)
Directions
- Prepare the pastry: Roll the pastry and line a 9-inch pie plate with the bottom crust. Roll out the remaining dough for the top crust. Chill the pastry.
- Preheat the oven to 400° F.
- Prepare the filling: Pour the fresh-squeezed lemon juice in the bottom of a large bowl. Add your lemon zest to the bowl. Peel, halve and core the apples. Be sure to remove seeds. Slice them evenly and slim into the bowl, coating them with the lemon juice as you go.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the sugars, molasses and spices. Add them to the apples just before you want to bake the pie, mix gently. Adjust sugar to taste as needed.
- Scrape the filling into the bottom crust, dot with butter and cover it with the second crust. Trim and crimp the crust; chill the pie for about 10 minutes in the refrigerator. Cut vent slits in the top crust. It is your option to sprinkle it with sugar or brush the top with egg wash.
- Bake the pie on a baking sheet for 10 minutes at 400° F or until the crust looks dry, blistered, and blonde. Turner the oven down to 375°F, and bake for at least 45 minutes more or until the crust is golden brown, and visible juices are thickened and bubble slowly through the slits in the top crust. Check if the bottom crust has darkened. If not bake a little more and cover the top crust, so it does not burn.
- Cool the pie completely before cutting at least a few hours or warm in an hour. Store the pie uncovered in a cool place up to three days.
Henry Moscow doesn’t believe in love. At least, not anymore. Not in the crude sense of hearts, flowers, ribbons and bows. But in the small town of Churchgrove, love is one of the things they LOVE to celebrate the most.
Caught up amidst the chaos of Churchgrove’s annual Valentine’s Celebration, Henry bids on the company of a woman at the Annual Courtship Auction to save her from embarrassment, and wins.
Now he’s saddled with a boisterous companion that he does not want, Churchgrove’s notorious Miss Hadisham.
Miss Emily Hadisham owns Churchgrove’s only dress shop. She works her fingers to the bone to design beautiful gowns for young women who think, like their parents before them, that she is a witch. Emily makes use of herself in the only way she can and tries to stay out of the public eye. That is, until February the 14th. Sick of her life of utter and complete loneliness, Emily throws caution to the winds and takes a chance to find her happiness.
Henry Moscow isn’t what you would call the ideal partner, but Emily is determined to make him into one, whether he likes it or not.
Two Hearts One Stone
Now Available!
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The Heart of Hope is a companion tale to Josephine Blake’s, Dianna!
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Happy Release day, Josephine!! That recipe sounds delish!! Love the cover of Two Hearts one Stone! Very pretty!!
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❤❤❤ Thank you, Clare!!!! 😉 I’m going to have to sit down and make apple pie tonight. Hee hee.
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Love your books. I love apple pie but don’t have any luck making crust.
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Thanks Judy! I’m going to give the Apple pie a try tonight. I’ll let you know how it goes! 😉
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I am read to meet Henry and Emily. It sounds like they have an interesting story to tell!
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Oh my gosh. My husband listening to me write it…. I kept cracking up. He thought I was a nutter butter.
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Loved the video and your contagious enthusiasm. Happy Release day. Thevpie loks delicious and I believe it will be baking in my kitchen very soon.
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😂 I’m so glad it’s contagious!
Let me know how your pie turns out! 😉
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I am excited about reading this book!
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This recipes sounds absolutely delicious! I can’t wait to try it out. I love your stories and can’t wait for Charlotte and Two Hearts One Stone!!
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❤ Thank you so much, Sharon!!! 😘
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My favorite pie is cherry! And I am going to have to get this book. Because of the auction! I like Book auctions as you know!
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My name should be spelled Debbie Curto
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Happy Release day. awesome pie recipe. xx
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Thank you so much, Kimberly!!!
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You won a free copy of Two Hearts One Stone yesterday! Email me at admin@awordfromjosephineblake.com to collect your prize! ☺
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I have been looking for a new apple pie recipe. I want to try this one. Thank you!
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Let me know how it turns out!!! 😉
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This recipe sounds delicious. Please enter me in your contest.
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Certainly!! 😉
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This piece looks lucious. Thank you for sharing. Your latest book looks like a great book also. I have added it to my wishlist on Amazon. 🙂
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❤ Thank you so much!!
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I, like the others who commented before me, think the pie recipe, and the picture, looks great. Next shopping trip I am going to have to get some apples and try that recipe. I look forward to reading Two Hearts One Stone.
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Thank you, Nancy!!! ☺
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Oh, no, my cravings aren’t going to stop until I get some really good apple pie. I am NOT a cook! If I were to win your new book, I’d just read instead of trying to create apple pie.
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😂 Very productive either way!
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You won a free ebook yesterday! Congrats! Shoot me an email to claim your prize! admin@awordfromjosephineblake.com
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I’m going to be trying this recipe real soon. It looks delicious. May I share it with others?
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Please do!
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I love to bake, but a pie is something I have never actually made from scratch!
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🙂 Give it a try!!!
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Congrats on the release of Two Hearts, One Stone. The recipe for apple pie looks sooooo yummy 🙂
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Thank you so much!! ☺
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Happy Release Day, Josephine 🙂 I can’t wait to try the apple pie. New recipes are fun.
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Thank you, Marianne!! 😉
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Love the recipe. Too bad it’s not gluten free. My mom use to make the best apple pies but she made hers with McIntosh apples and it gives the pie a distinctive flavor. .
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I should definitely try to find a yummy gluten free one!
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I’ve never heard of putting molasses in an apple pie recipe. Sounds interesting and will have to give it a try. Excited to read your books. I can add them to my list of books for the Goodreads annual 2017 Reading Challenge. Congrats on the new book and good luck!
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Thank you so much, Laura! A reading challenge sounds kind of amazing! I should try one of those!
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I entered my first reading challenge last year on Bookstr and read 48 books of my 50 goal. This year I hope to hit my 50 goal or more. Goodreads and Bookstr both have reading challenges. It’s a great way to keep focused on reading all the books I have. An excuse to take time out and read each day, which is one of my favorite things to do.
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I haven’t heard of Bookstr. I’ll have to check that one out!
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It use to be The Reading Room.
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Looks like a good book and some good apple pie. Thanks for the great posts
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