BEAUTIFUL EDGES TO EAT & DRINK NOW!

Today we are checking out Beautiful Edges in food and drink. Specifically, we have some beautiful cocktail edges and some perfect pie edges to share.

PINK GRAPEFRUIT GIN FIZZES WITH THYME & PINK SEA SALT EDGES

Pink grapefruit juice and gin is one of my favorite cocktail combos. And if I want to make it extra-special, I gussy up the edges with pink sea salt and thyme. It is just so perfect… and beautiful!

Pink Grapefruit Gin Fizzes with Thyme & Pink Sea Salt Edges

Ingredients:

• 1 part aromatic gin
• 2 parts freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice
• Himalayan or Hawaiian sea salt
• Fresh thyme sprigs
• Sliced Lemon
• Sparkling water

Instructions:

1. For each cocktail, mix 1 part good quality aromatic gin and 2 parts freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice together. Muddle in some fresh thyme sprigs.

2. Pour pink Himalayan or Hawaiian sea salt into a saucer.

3. Rub edges of tall cocktail glasses with cut lemon. While still wet, dip the edges of the glasses into the pink salt to coat. Let dry for at least 10 minutes.

4. Fill each glass with ice cubes and pour in gin and juice mixture to ¾ full. Top with sparkling water. Be careful as you fill the glasses so you don’t disturb their Beautiful Edges.

5. Garnish with a pink grapefruit slice and thyme sprig. And serve.​

TOMATO BRUNCH MARTINIS WITH EVERYTHING BAGEL EDGES.

I had fun developing this recipe on a wintry Sunday morning. It was too cold and snowy to go out for bagels. So, I gilded some glasses with beautiful Everything Bagel Edges, whipped up a mean tomato martini, and cozied up to an amazing brunch.

This brunch martini goes great with chevre omelettes. And try it with some cream cheese stuffed olives for an over-the-top brunch martini fix.

Tomato Brunch Martinis with Everything Bagel Edges

Ingredients:

Everything Bagel Edge:

• 1 tablespoon of very finely chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon of very finely chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon of sesame seed
• 1 tablespoon of poppy seed
• 2 teaspoons of coarse sea salt
• ½ teaspoon of smoked salt or Fleur de Sel (optional)

Tomato Martini Elixir:

• 1 - 2 campari or other full-flavored tomatoes, chopped
• 1 large dry-packed sundried tomato, finely chopped (don’t use the ones packed in oil)
• 1/2 ounce of vodka, heated
• Juice of one lemon
• 12 ounces of quality vodka
• 2 ounces of dry vermouth
• Ice cubes
• 1 lemon thinly sliced

Instructions:

For Everything Bagel Edges:

1. Preheat oven to 400℉. Line a sheet pan with a Silpat liner.  

2. Mix together chopped onion and garlic, sesame and poppy seeds, and coarse sea salt. Scatter the mixture in a thin layer on top of the Silpat.

3. Bake for about 10 minutes, until lightly toasted, stirring once after 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. When cooled, stir in smoked Fleur de Sel.

4. Rub the rim of each glass with cut lemon to moisten. Dip each rim into the Everything Bagel mixture to coat. Set aside to dry for 10 minutes.

For Tomato Martini mixture:

1. Put the sundried tomato in a small bowl. Heat 1/2 ounce of vodka until very hot. Pour vodka over top of the tomato and steep until tomato is rehydrated. Cool.

2. Mix chopped campari tomato and lemon juice into the sundried tomato mixture.

3. Mix together vodka and vermouth. Shake or stir with ice until well chilled.

Assembly:

1. Place one tablespoon of the tomato mixture in the bottom of each edged glass. Top with ice cubes.

2. Pour the vodka mixture over top, to almost full, taking care not to disturb the Everything Bagel Edge.

3. Serve. ​

EDGY SMOKEY MANHATTANS

While I’m not normally a fan of rye whiskey, the High West Distillery gave me a bottle and won me over. I used it to create an edgier version of a Manhattan cocktail. Mine is smokey vs sweet. With macerated sour cherries and a smoked salt and paprika edge, it’s now one of my favorite winter cocktails.

Edgy Smokey Manhattans

EDGY CHAMPAGNE COCKTAILS

When I have some non-vintage champagne or cava, I like to push its edges and turn it into champagne cocktails. My Edgy Champagne cocktails are super simple.

Mix together equal amounts of salt and sugar. Add some chopped fresh thyme leaves. Rub the rims of champagne glasses with cut lemon to moisten. Dip the rims in dipping mixture to coat. Carefully fill glasses with champagne. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon in each glass. And serve.

We love the edge on the Salted Lemon Sage Cocktail by mixologist Carlene Thomas! This beautiful drink is essentially a fresh lemonade made more aromatic and potent with gin. Then that lily is gilded with a salty herbaceous rim. It makes for a perfectly balanced, salt, sweet, citrusy, fresh, musky sip. Yum!

And Thomas’s Spiced Pumpkin Shrub. made with fresh pumpkin, vodka, and maple syrup, rocks a magical vanilla sugar edge.

Check out the recipe for the Salted Lemon Sage Cocktail here. Spiced Pumpkin Shrub recipe here.

You can give your pies more beautiful edges too. You can use special recipes, forms, and designs to make your edges sing. Check out some great Beautiful Edges ideas on 9 Ways to Fancy Up Your Pies, By erinmcdowell, on one of our favorite food blogs, Food52.

CRANBERRY SAGE PIE

We love Four & Twenty Blackbirds’ artisanal pies for so many reasons. Founded by sisters Emily and Melissa Elsen, the pies have a creative edge that comes through in fabulous flavor profiles and stunning visual presentation. We featured Blackbirds’ shop and their recent cookbook in a previous post.

But today, we are focusing on Blackbirds’ beautiful pie crust edges. We love Emily Hilliard’s version presented in her wonderful Nothing in the House pie blog. Hilliard offers her own recipe for crust, which uses chilled cider vinegar to deliver extra tender flakiness, which is what a perfect crust, and perfect edge, is all about.

Cranberry Sage Pie

Adapted from The Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book.

Ingredients:

• Nothing in the House pie crust
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons arrowroot (cornstarch also works)
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 4 cups whole cranberries, fresh or frozen
• 1 small baking apple (I used a Northern Spy)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• Egg wash (1 large egg whisked with 1 teaspoon water and a pinch of salt)
• Demerara sugar, for dusting

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Nothing-in-the-House pie crust as per the directions. Chill dough at least 1 hour. Once chilled, roll out 1/2 of pie crust and fit into a 9-inch greased and floured pie pan. You can choose to roll out the top-crust now and refrigerate it flat, or roll it out once you've prepared the filling. Either way, you should put both the remaining crust and the pie pan in the fridge while you prepare the filling. Reserve half-egg yolk for the egg wash.

2. In a heatproof bowl, pour boiling water over the dried cranberries to cover by about 1 inch. Allow them to plump while you prepare the rest of the filling.

3. In a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, combine the chopped sage, granulated and brown sugars, salt, arrowroot (or cornstarch), cinnamon, and allspice. Process until the sage is fully blended. Pour the sugar mixture into a large bowl and set aside.

4. Use the same food processor bowl to briefly process 2 cups of the whole cranberries until they are roughly chopped. Add them, along with the remaining 2 cups of whole cranberries, to the sugar mixture.

5. Peel the apple and shred on the large holes of a box grater. In a colander, drain the plumped dried cranberries of excess water, but do not press or squeeze them out. Add the shredded apple and the drained dried cranberries to the bowl with the rest of the filling and stir to combine. Stir in the vanilla extract and egg and mix well. Pour the filling into the refrigerated pie shell and top with the remaining rolled pastry, using a lattice design if desired. Flute and seal edges.

6. Chill the pie in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to set the pastry. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Brush the pastry with the egg wash to coat. Sprinkle with demerara sugar.

7. Place pie on the lowest rack of the oven on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is set and beginning to brown. Lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees F, move the pie to the center rack and continue to bake until the crust is a deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling, 35-45 minutes longer.

8. Let cool completely on a wire rack 2-3 hours. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature with a scoop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired.

APPLE ROSE PIE WITH PINK PEPPERCORN

Apple Rose Pie with Pink Peppercorn

Adapted from The Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book by The Moon in My Kitchen blog.

Ingredients:

• Nothing in the House pie crust
• 2 meyer lemons (or regular lemons)
• 7 apples (6 cups sliced)
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 pinches finely crushed pink peppercorn
• 1/2 teaspoon Maldon sea salt
• 3 tablespoons rose water
• 2 dashes angostura bitters

Finishing:

• Egg wash (1 egg whisked with a pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon water)
• Raw or demerara sugar for sprinkling

Instructions:

Crust:

1. Prepare dough per the directions. Roll one disk to form bottom crust.

2. Roll out the second disk to the same thickness and diameter. Using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, cut the dough into 6–7 large strips—this will be used to make the lattice.

3. Transfer the strips to a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.

Make the filling:

1. Juice the meyer lemons and pour the juice into a large mixing bowl. Peel the apples and slice them thinly.

2. Add the slices to the lemon juice as you work to prevent them from browning. Once they are all added, toss them in the juice to coat as much as possible.

3. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar, toss gently, and set aside for 30 minutes.

4. In a separate large bowl combine the remaining dry ingredients: 1/3 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, allspice, cinnamon, pink peppercorn, and salt.

5. Drain the apples of the liquid that has accumulated (it doesn’t have to be perfectly drained), and add them to the dry ingredients.

6. Toss them together, and then add the bitters and the rose water, tossing gently once more.

7. Mound the apples in the prepared pie dish. Arrange the large pastry strips so they overlay asymmetrically to create a rustic, modern lattice.

8. Fold the overhanging pastry from the bottom crust over the lattice strips, pressing them together, and then crimp all around to seal the pie.

9. Chill the prepared pie for 15 minutes.

10. Place baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven, and preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

11. Whisk together the egg wash — 1 egg with 1 teaspoon water and a pinch of salt. Brush the egg wash over the lattice and sprinkle heavily with raw sugar.

12. Place the pie on the baking sheet on the bottom rack and bake for 20–25 minutes. The pastry will have begun to brown.

13. Lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees and move the pie to the center rack. Bake for 35–40 minutes longer until the filling is bubbling and the pastry is a deep golden.

14. Serve at room temperature.

APPLE CRANBERRY PIE WITH ORANGE

Here’s another spin on cranberry pie that also boasts a beautiful edge. This one is from Betty Liu of Le Jus D’Orange. 

It was inspired by a recipe in a great cookbook, “PIE,” by Ken Haedrich. The crust is genius in that cutouts from the main top sheet are used, overlapping, to form a gorgeous edge. Betty uses her own pie crust.

Apple Cranberry Pie with Orange

Ingredients:

• Le Jus D’Orange pie crust
• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 3 large baking apples (I used Granny Smiths), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
• juice and zest of one large orange
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 egg
• splash of water
• Demerara sugar

Instructions:

1. If you haven’t already, prepare the pastry and refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about 1 hour.

2. Combine the cranberries and sugar in a food processor and pulse until the cranberries are coarsely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl and add all the remaining filling ingredients, tossing well to combine. Set the mixture aside for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400°F a few minutes before you start to assemble the pie.

3. Roll out 1 disc of pie dough. Place on top of pie pan. Spoon filling into pie pan. Then, roll out 2nd disc of dough. Do a lattice crust or this patterned one (to do that, simply take a tiny cookie cutter and cut dough out in a pattern. Gently lift onto the pie pan). Crimp edges or place cutouts around edges. Let rest in fridge for 15 minutes.

4. Make egg wash: whisk egg with splash of water. Brush surface of pie with egg wash. Sprinkle generously with demerara sugar.

5. Place the pie on the center oven rack and bake for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and rotate the pie 180 degrees, so that the part that was facing the back of the oven now faces forward. Continue to bake until the juices bubble thickly up, 30 to 35 minutes.

6. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool for at least 1 hour before serving.

BLACK PEPPER APPLE HAND PIES

Hand pies are great because they are so portable, but also because the offer more edge than a slice of regular pie. We love Le Jus D’Orange’s Black Pepper Apple Hand Pies, with bourbon and caramel.

Ingredients:

• Le Jus D’Orange pie crust
• 2 apples, very thinly sliced and chopped (peeled and cored)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• splash lemon juice
• lemon zest if you have

Instructions:

1. Just mix all the apple filling ingredients together and set aside.

2. Roll out pie crust and use a bowl (or a cutter if you have one) to make about 4-5″ circle. Spoon two tablespoon apple filling onto it, and try to leave as much juice out as you can.

3. Fold the edge over and use fingers or fork to press edges together.

4. Use a sharp knife to slice some slits – this lets the air out so they don’t explode.

5. Do it for as much dough as you can get. Put them on parchment paper lined baking sheet and stick it in the fridge for 10 min.

6. Preheat oven to 425. Meanwhile, beat 1 egg + a splash of milk or water together.

7. Using a pastry brush, brush it over the chilled hand pies. Sprinkle with a turn of black pepper if grinding, or just a light dash. Sprinkle liberally with demerara sugar (or raw sugar, or just granulated) and bake for 20 minutes. Then turn heat to 375 and bake for another 20-25 minutes, until it is golden brown.

Check out more Le Jus D’Orange cool pies and beautiful edges on Instagram and Facebook.

SOUR CHERRY GALETTE

Galettes have gorgeous rustic edges. We like them because they are much wider than regular pie crusts. And their roughness gives them extra texture. We found a positively magnificent Sour Cherry Galette, created by Laurie Jesch-Kulseth of Relishing It.

This galette is made with an all-butter crust. This recipe calls for frozen butter that has been run through a large box grater. Clever! It yields incredible flakiness, and a beautiful edge.

Sour Cherry Galette with an All Butter Pie Crust

Ingredients:

For the All Butter Pie Crust:

(Makes enough for 2 galettes,  one double-crusted pie, or two single-crusted pies)

• 315 grams of all-purpose flour (2 1/2 cups)
• 2 sticks of frozen, unsalted butter (1 cup)
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup, plus about 3 tablespoons ice cold water

For the Sour Cherry Pie Filling:

• 2 cups sour cherries, pitted
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 egg mixed with 1 teaspoon water (for egg wash)
• about 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

Ingredients:

To make the pie dough:  

1. Pour the water into a large measuring cup. Add a couple of ice cubes. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar. Set aside.  

3. Using the large holes of a box grater, quickly grate the frozen butter. Place the butter into the bowl with the flour mixture.  

4. Using a pastry blender, quickly work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles small peas. Feel the butter, if it doesn’t feel very cold, you can place it into the freezer for a few minutes.  

5. Continuing, measure out 1/2 cup of ice water (careful not to add the ice cubes) and using a rubber spatula incorporate the water into the butter/flour mixture by folding it in.  

6. Add more water, if necessary, a tablespoon at a time. Three tablespoons does the trick for me. The mixture will look like a shaggy mess.  

7. Press it together and if it sticks, but isn’t sticky– it is ready. You don’t want it wet, but you don’t want it dry either.

8. Knead it together with your hands a couple of times to form a ball shape. Divide the dough into half and wrap each half into plastic wrap.  

9. Refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours before using. Or freeze for months and thaw in the refrigerator. For this recipe, you will use only 1 of the balls of dough. Save the other one for another time.

To Make the Filling:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a medium-sized bowl, stir the cherries, sugar, cornstarch, and salt together.  

2. On a large piece of parchment paper that will fit onto a large baking sheet, sprinkle a tiny amount of flour onto the paper and onto your rolling pin to help it roll out more easily.  

3. Roll out 1 ball of pie dough into a 12-inch circle on the parchment paper.   

4. Place the cherry mixture into the center, and carefully fold the sides over each other.

5. Press them together so they adhere– this will help prevent too much cherry juice from leaking when it bakes.  

6. Gently slide the galette and the parchment paper onto a large baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, lightly paint the egg wash onto the dough.

7. Then sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, or until the crust is a deep golden brown and the cherry juices are bubbling a bit and possibly oozing out. Let cool before eating. Keeps well in an airtight container.  Enjoy!

(serves 4-6)

Read more about Beautiful Edges, as they relate to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact including 10 New Books on the Beauty of Edges Now, and New Edges in Space are Beautiful Now.

Enter your own images and ideas about Beautiful Edges in this week’s creative Photo Competition. Open for entries now until 11:59 p.m. PT on 03.01.15. If you are reading this after that date, check out the current BN Creative Competition, and enter!

IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Photo: by Shira White. Pink Grapefruit Gin Fizzes with Thyme & Pink Sea Salt Edges.
2. Photo: Courtesy of Carlene Thomas. Spiced Pumpkin Shrub.
3. Photo: by Shira White. Tomato Brunch Martinis with Everything Bagel Edges.
4. Photo: by Shira White.Tomato Brunch Martinis with Everything Bagel Edges & Chevre Omelette.
5. Photo: by Shira White. Edgy Smokey Manhattan.
6. Photo: by Shira White. Edgy Champagne Cocktails.
7. Photo: Courtesy of Carlene Thomas. Salted Lemon Sage Cocktail.
8. Photo: Courtesy of Carlene Thomas. Spiced Pumpkin Shrub.
9. Photo: by Erin Mcdowell. Pie Crust.
10. Photo: Courtesy of Nothing in the House. Cranberry Sage Pie.
11. Photo: Courtesy of The Moon in My Kitchen. Apple Rose Pie with Pink Peppercorn.  
12. Photo: Courtesy of Le Jus D’Orange. Apple Cranberry Pie with Orange.
13. Photo: Courtesy of Le Jus D’Orange. Apple Cranberry Pie with Orange.
14. Photo: Courtesy of Le Jus D’Orange. Black Pepper Apple Hand Pies.
15. Photo: by Laurie Jesch Kulseth. Sour Cherry Galette.