Just off Plover Street in the heart of Gutterside, the poorest district of the city of Granite Hedge, lies a bakery known throughout the district for some of the very best, most delicious confections and pastries in the city: Bertie's Bakery. The shingle above the door to her modest establishment says it all: "Eat Your Dessert First".
But amongst all of her offerings, a local favorite has to be Bertie's famous pull-apart pies. After all, what could be better on a crisp morning with friends than a still-warm pie, stuffed with candied cherries, buttery pecan-nut, or spiced apple, that can be simply doled out piece-by-piece on the road or right there on the spot? That's right: a pie, cooked in such a way it can be easily taken apart one piece at a time, with gooey sweet goodness hidden within each and every sugar-dusted morsel.
You might have heard of this delicacy in your own travels through the Inner Kingdoms, or perhaps read of it in the exploits of Antonio Silverstaff and his cousin Derek Sharpe as they searched Gutterside for the scoundrel, Lendil. But unless you plan on a journey to the ancient fortress city to try one yourself, we suggest you follow the recipe below to make your own. Or at least, the nearest approximation we could come up with (her recipes are guarded more closely than King Drakken's hoard!).
While the dough one might use could be made from scratch, much like typical buttermilk biscuit dough, we present a simpler and more accessible alternative. Likewise with the endless varieties one might choose for filling. Nonetheless, once you try this wonderful and simple recipe yourself, you're sure to be transported to the cobbled streets of Granite Hedge, inhaling the soul-cleansing petrichor of a fresh-fallen rain laced with woodsmoke, and planning your adventures for the day! Enjoy your rewards, travelers. And be sure to share with a friend or two.
INGREDIENTS
3 cans of ready-made buttermilk biscuits
1 can of pie filling (apple-cinnamon and berry blends are Gutterside favorites)
1 stick of salted butter
1 cup white sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
DIRECTIONS:
Prepare a bundt cake pan by laying the stick of butter inside and placing the pan in an oven as it preheats to 325-350F (temperature may vary depending on your elevation). While the butter melts, open the cans of biscuits and lay each biscuit out individually on a clean counter or other work surface. Using a rolling pin or just the palm of your hand, flatten each biscuit until it is about doubled in diameter, and place a dollop (less than a tablespoon, or it gets unmanageable) of pie filling in the center of each. Lift the edges of each biscuit and pinch together at the top. Make sure each is completely sealed to keep the filling inside.
By now your butter should be melted. Remove the bundt cake pan from the oven but leave the oven on. Roll the pan around to coat the entire bottom surface with butter, then pour off the melted butter into a small bowl and set aside.
In a second bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon together until blended well. Then take each of the biscuits you've prepared and gently roll them in the cinnamon-sugar mix until completely coated and place it into the bundt cake pan. Once all the biscuits are in the pan, mix the remaining melted butter into the remaining sugar and cinnamon until blended, and pour this evenly over the biscuit balls, scraping out every bit of it with a soft spatula.
Place the cake pan into your preheated oven and bake for 45-60 minutes (time may vary). When done, carefully remove the pan from the oven. Place a large platter over the pan, facedown, and flip the entire thing upside down. Remove the bundt cake pan, and behold the steamy, spicy, gooey wonderfulness! After allowing to cool 10 minutes or so, it is ready to be plucked apart by all the eager fingers that will surely be nearby!
VARIATIONS:
Fun variants can be made by substituting a portion or all of the white sugar with brown, or using a pumpkin pie spice blend in place of cinnamon. Of course, the filling is the star of the show, though, so feel free to try anything! Berry, cherry, apple, peach, any variety of chutney, you choose! Have fun with it!
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What amazing recipes have you discovered in your journeys? Let us know! Feel free to post them, either in the comments beneath the blog post itself or in whatever forum it gets posted. If you just have feedback or comments on this recipe or any of our other world-building, share them, too!
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Happy Adventures,
Jason and Rose
Creators at Legends of Cyrradon
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