Who, who is ready for a who, who-dun-it? Mystery solved–you are! Go grab a copy of WHOBERT WHOVER, OWL DETECTIVE (Margaret K. McElderry Books) by Jason Gallaher and illustrated flawlessly by Jess Pauwels. Whobert Whover is a charming and slightly oblivious (OK, a lot oblivious) owl detective on the lookout for his next case. And that is when he spots Perry the possum. The subtle humor from the play on words and whimsical visuals will keep the kids giggling and trying to help Whobert who, who seeks to solve the mystery of what happened to poor ol’ Perry. I mean seriously, poor Perry.
WHOBERT WHOVER is super funny, endearing, and clever, and so is its author. Can we talk about the name Whobert Whover? I mean, come on! Just the best name ever for this owl, who, who is more like Inspector Gadget than Sherlock. And could Whobert look any more perfect? Nope. Just nope. Enjoy this read with your kiddos or find a class to read to. It’s a joy! Speaking of class, Jason is offering a school visit give-away. For more info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3h-nHIeb3c
Now, if this book were a pie, what would it be? Hmmmm. I’m inspired by the illustrations to go more fall-like, more earthy with this pie. Also, I think I need some complex flavors to keep the palate guessing. See what I did there? It’s a pie mystery, folks! OK, it can’t really be a mystery, because I have to tell you what’s in it. So, the grand unveiling…(DRUM ROLL!)…I’m making a spicy apple fig pie with a nutty crumble topping. YUM YUM! Go bake it and bring yer forks!
Pardon the photo, folks. I’m a writer and a baker, not a photographer. 🙂
SPICY APPLE FIG PIE
Ingredients
Fig Compote
8 oz dried figs, stemmed and sliced
1/4 cup cinnamon imperials (yep, the little candies)
Juice from 1 orange
1 1/2 cups of water
Apple Filling
4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced thin
3 large Fuji apples, peeled and sliced thin
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp clove
1/2 tsp orange zest
pinch of salt
1 tbsp flour
Crumble
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup almond slices
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
For fig compote, combine figs, cinnamon imperials, orange juice and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir frequently. Turn down the heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes or until figs are softened and the consistency is syrupy. Set aside.
For the apple filling, combine apples, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove, orange zest, and salt in a saute pan. Cook down the apples until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the liquid into a clean saucepan and set aside apples. On medium-low heat, whisk in one tablespoon of flour into the reserved liquid to make a roux. Stir until thickened. Remove from heat.
Combine the fig mixture with the apple filling in the saute pan. Pour the roux on the fig/apple mixture and combine. Pour the combined mixture into a pre-made crust. (Click here for my crust recipe.)
For the crumble, combine the butter, brown sugar, flour and almond slices into a food processor. Mix on high until combined. Sprinkle on top of filling.
Put the pie in the oven at 450 degrees for 10 minutes (to avoid the dreaded soggy bottom). Then turn down the heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Feel free to serve warm with some vanilla ice cream…droooool.