Young Male Professional that Lives in a Tiny Studio Apartment Apple Pies {Guest Post}

My friend Dave has been talking about an “amazing guest post” that has been “coming soon” for quite some time now. He even went so far as teasing me with pictures of his homemade apple pies in an apple, yet no writing to include. I invited him over for lunch this past rainy Saturday and once we were done eating, I casually busied myself in the kitchen which left him no choice but to write his infamous post on my bedazzled computer. 

I have a confession; I am embarrassed. I am embarrassed that it has taken four months from the time that I told Caitlin I would guest post to the time this post came to be.

It all started in early Decemeber. Jack Frost was making an uncharacteristically late arrival to the season and Caitlin had decided to run the 1st annual Holiday Cookie Swap. As a loyal friend and follower of the blog, I jumped at the offer to contribute. Then came a startling realization; I had to find a subject that fit the theme and tone of the blog, yet was true to my rugged and masculine personality. It was going to be no easy feat. Luck was on my side though; Caitlin informed me that I did not have to make cookies, I could do whatever I wanted as long as it was winter themed. This opened the doors to greatness.

After weeks of pontificating, I had found the perfect post…Peach Cobbler Bourbon Cocktails. A hardcore liquor drink served in mason jars, what’s more manly than that? Unfortunately, I had pontificated so long that I had missed my window. The cookie exchange was over and I was informed that any future guest blogs had to be tea, craft or baking related.  Back to baking meant back to the drawing board.

I researched, ran calculations, mixed things around in beakers for days trying to find the answer. Days turned to weeks, and weeks turned to months. Things were looking hopeless. That is, until I was forwarded the email that gave me the solution, a perfect recipe that was made for a single guy that prefers to only use a toaster oven. Best of all, it was easy and did not make a mess.

I am proud to present what I am calling the Young Male Professional that Lives in a Tiny Studio Apartment Apple Pies, or Apple Pie in an Apple for short, inspired by this recipe. (It is no coincidence that I was eating pie last time I was featured on Caitlin’s blog.)

I had already decided that I was going to adjust the recipe a bit. Growing up, my mom, who makes the best apple pies in the world, always bumped up the sugar and cinnamon, so I was going to do the same.  I used about 1 ½ tablespoons sugar and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon per apple. Other decisions I made included using prepackaged pie crust to keep with the bachelor theme, and using Fuji apples. Knowing that the filling was going to bake down considerably, I wanted to make sure each apple was heaping, so I supplemented the filling with an extra green apple that came in my FruitGuys box a day earlier. This also saved me from having to fuss with cutting up the tops of each apple.

Ingredients per apple:

The going was tough right out of the gates. Removing the guts of the apples while keeping the walls intact was surprisingly difficult at first. In the attempt to go fast and my sometimes uncontrollable strength, I blew through the walls of a couple apples and had to scrap them. I found a system that worked for me though and things eventually sped up.  Once diced, it was only a matter of tossing it with the sugar, flour and cinnamon and putting it in the fridge.

The crust was easy, as expected when bought premade. I did add a little curb appeal by cutting it up and making a lattice. I used a pint glass to cut out the rounds.

I followed the baking instructions pretty closely (bake at 370 degrees) but used the convection bake setting and let them go for 5 minutes longer, totaling 45 minutes.

All in all, I would have to say it was a successful endeavor. I shared them with my neighbors and brought a couple in to sample with my co-workers. The ladies were impressed and guys didn’t make fun of me.  If I had to do it again, I would definitely make my own crust and cut larger lids so they would drape over the apples more.

Hopefully you enjoyed reading about the trials and tribulations of my guest blogging experience. If you would like a follow-up post about the Peach Cobbler Bourbon Cocktails I made, send Caitlin your requests. She will have to break her rules if enough people demand it. This is America after all.