Author: Starbright Floral Design of NYC

We are a team of dedicated professionals all entering as one. Starbright Floral Design is the company we are all a part of. The Official Florist sometimes is a designer, or a flower buyer, a partner, the marketing department or sometimes the guy who delivered your flowers! We invite you to visit our website and stay in touch... www.starbrightnyc.com.

Getting ready for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is just around the corner! How are you dressing up your table?

 

What's on your table?
What’s on your table?

 

Whether your’e planning the traditional turkey or untraditional take-out, why not get the party started with a festive atmosphere? While the family, the friends, the food, and the football may be Thanksgivings main attractions, it’s amazing what a few additional decorations can do to put people into the holiday mood. Here at Starbright Floral Design we’ve had over twenty years of experience helping hosts and hostesses in New York City find just the right floral spin for their parties. Here are some of our favorites :

 

 

1. The Centerpiece

There’s no doubt that the main attraction on any Thanksgiving table is the food. All manner of dishes – roasted, baked, broiled and steamed – somehow need to squeeze onto a table between the place settings. While all the delicious food is a sight for hungry eyes, a floral element will keep the mood going even after the food is all gone. In past posts, Getting Back to Happiness and Scent and Memory – Starbright explored studies that tested the effects flowers have on mood and memory. The findings were pretty conclusive and crucial for any host or hostess to keep in mind. Not only do flowers make people smile more often, they also tend to make experiences more memorable (especially for your elderly guests).

When you’re planning florals for the table, begin with how much room there will be, what the color theme is, and what kind of style is preferred.

Some ideas to consider :

Centerpiece
Roses, dahlia, hydrangea and calla lilies

Long and low arrangements are fantastic for a rectangular table. These arrangements look great when they’re filled with lush, colored flowers with a lot of texture.

 

Walk on an Autumn Day
Walk on an Autumn Day

 

If you have a more intimate evening planned, an arrangement in a square vase, like the one above, can pack the same amount of presence as it’s long and low cousin. The best part, these centerpieces are still low enough that they won’t get in the way of conversation.

Check out our event gallery for more inspiration

2. Place Cards

Hosting a party can seem intimidating. One of the tips we often share with nervous dinner party planners is the power of a name card. A hostess or host’s duty is primarily to make their guests feel welcome – their ultimate tool for accomplishing this? A little place card that helps guests identify their “space” for the evening. Whether the seats are assigned or open to whoever lands there first, guests will appreciate the chance to mark their spot for the evening.

In the twenty plus years that Starbright has been working in the floral industry, we’ve seen all manner of fun place card holders. Some of our favorite techniques have involved holding the cards up in the quills of a pincushion protea, between the lobes of a living succulent, or cleverly attached to apples or mini pumpkins.

Matching the cardholders to the centerpiece will keep things looking consistent.

 

3. Around the House

It can also be fun to play with placing other floral elements around the house. Bud Vases like the below, can be filled with flowers that match you centerpieces and set around the home.

Bud Vases
Bud Vases are a great way to subtly stretch your floral theme beyond the dining room. 

Or for the traditionalists – the true symbol of the season, a cornucopia, is a great way to dress up a coffee table of sideboard.

 

Here in New York City, it’s easy to forget about the fields that have been harvested, the geese migrating south for the winter, or the smell of leaves. One of the best ways to remind people of the season is with a fall wreath to greet guests at the door. We like to welcome our seasonal visitors in a BIG way!

Seasonal fall wreath
Starbright Floral Design’s BIG seasonal welcome wreath

 

Whatever your theme or floral strategy – Starbright Floral Design is looking forward to helping you dress up your dinner!

 

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Looking for flowers in New York City? Visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com.

Brightening Up With The Chrysanthemum.

Chrysanthamum
Chrysanthemum

Well, that’s it, it’s over – those long days of summer are gone. Even though our days are getting shorter and it’s almost always dark by the time we get home, here at Starbright, we’re finding lots of ways to brighten things up. Autumn flowers are winding down, but some of our very favorite staple flowers are at their peak: alstroemeria, carnations, lilies, and roses and most importantly – the flower of the month – the chrysanthemum.

 

The name “chrysanthemum” is derived from the Greek words chrysos (gold) and anthemon (flower). Don’t let its name fool you into thinking these guys are only available in the beautiful yellow/orange combo that is so common at this time. There are about 40 different species of chrysanthemums and countless varieties and cultivars that are available in a wide variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. Because of this overwhelming diversity, chrysanthemum plants are further described as being either a “garden hardy” or an “exhibition” variety and the bloom types can be further described as belong to one of the thirteen bloom forms recognized by the US National Chrysanthemum Society, Inc., which follows the international classification system.

 

According to principles of Feng Shui, Chrysanthemums are the floral representation of the Fall season and are ideal for brightening up a space. According to this practice, the cheerful presence of these blooms excites happiness and laughter. During the Fall season, displaying chrysanthemums creates especially good luck.

 

Here are five Feng Shui ways to use chrysanthemums to brighten up our days as they keep getting shorter!
  1. The showy, yellow, round-headed chrysanthemums are perhaps the most sought after due to their symbolic association with a life of ease.
  2. White and Yellow chrysanthemums are great for energizing “metal” spaces of the home which are associated with children, creativity, and helpful people.
  3. Chrysanthemums encourage tranquility and help to alleviate of grief and anxiety.
  4. Wish someone a long life and much contentment with a bouquet of chrysanthemums.
  5. Living chrysanthemum plants acts as indoors air filter, are easy to care for, and last will bloom for much longer than cut flowers – while having all the same symbolic perks of the cut flowers. Ask about Starbright’s Plant Boutique!

 

To make sure you get the most from your purchase, check out How To Care for Cut Flowers!

 

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Looking for flowers in New York City? Visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com.

Color Profile : Orange

Ever wonder where flowers got their “meanings”?

Color psychologist don’t. And they have loads of studies backing up their theories. The general model of color psychology relies on six basic principles:

  1. Color can carry specific meaning.
  2. Color meaning is either based in learned meaning or biologically innate meaning.
  3. The perception of a color causes evaluation automatically by the person perceiving.
  4. The evaluation process forces color motivated behavior.
  5. Color usually exerts its influence automatically.
  6. Color meaning and effect has to do with context as well.[1]

Over at Starbright Floral Design, we get to work with lots of colors everyday and all of us have our favorites. But why are they our favorites and what does that say? Up this week :

Orange

mini pumpkins
Orange comes in all sorts of forms here at Starbright Floral Design
“Orange is red brought nearer to humanity by yellow.” Wassily Kandinsky

The color orange has a special place in Starbright’s design palette even though it is the most contested colors here in the US; people generally have a “love it” or “hate it” reaction to orange. Here at Starbright, we tend to collectively lean towards loving it. And what’s not to love? According to Color Wheel Pro, “Orange represents enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and stimulation”.

What makes orange so special?

Orange is a vibrant and energetic color that is highly visible to the human eye. It is often used catch attention and highlight important elements of a design. For a similar reason, orange can also be considered a “bargain” color – in floral design, this means orange flowers will make an arrangement feel more present.

The shade of the color is extra important when considering the symbolic associations of orange. Because the color was named for the fruit, orange is often associated with health and vitality. While in a muted tone, burnt or greyed oranges that can be commonly spotted in the color of changing leaves are most often associated with Autumn. Because of the close connection to nature, more subtle shades of orange are often used to represent change, movement, and comfort.

 

For Encouragement
Orange explosion
Orange you glad you did something for yourself today?

Are you trying to start a new project? Quit an old habit? Beginning a journey? Orange promotes a positive perspective on life and help to motivate people to look on the bright side of a situation. According to the color symbolism of ancient heraldry, orange represents strength and determination.

This perky shade is your best bet when you want to rev yourself up so you can hit the gym or channel creativity for a work project. “Orange is said to stimulate enthusiasm” 

 

For the Kids
Gerbera Daisies
Great big orange gerbera daisies

Looking for something for someone young? Kids and teens are especially down with the color orange.  We’re guessing it might because orange tends to carry a sense of adventure about it.

 

For the Hostess
Walk on an Autumn Day
Walk on an Autumn Day

It’s not always easy to say what you want to say. The color orange is associated with social communication. Studies have shown an increase in two-way conversations while the color orange is present. According to color theorists, “this color is both physically and mentally stimulating which gets people thinking and talking!”

 

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Looking for flowers in New York City? Visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com.

The Starbright Team – George B

George Baklava

 

We figured it was time to let you get to know some of the people who work in our office – operating the day to day activities in our client support, as well as making sure the flowers get where they’re going. Today, we’d like to introduce you to George B:

How many years have you been working at Starbright? Can you mention something about when you started?

This is my fifth year here at SFD.  I had moved back to NY in January of 2010 and was sending out applications to colleges in the city and working here part time.  I ended up being accept to CUNY’s Hunter College the following year, to pursue my degree in Economics and I’ve been going to school full time and working full time ever since! Sounds like fun right? J

 

What is your position at Starbright? 

Currently, I’ve been working closely with our Senior Partner, Nic, to increase our overall sales by strengthening existing client relationships and developing new ones.  You could say I’m a sales manager of sorts.  Nic is a phenomenal mentor and he has, quite literally, built our brand single handedly over the course of two decades.  We are now working together to bring exceptional service and quality flowers to as many people as we can.

 

If you take sales calls, what is your favorite advice to give the unsure client?

Overall, I generally recommend simply leaving it to our creative team to do something appropriate for the occasion.  It’s really amazing to see what they can do when you just give them a theme to work with.

 

What’s your favorite flower? color? 

The King Protea! Green – all shades of green

 

What’s your favorite floral style? 

Modern arrangements are definitely the coolest and in my opinion showcase our designer’s creative capabilities more so than any other style. And anything with earthy tones or all green is also a favorite.

 

What languages do you speak?

I’m bilingual in Greek and English and conversational in Spanish. I’m also currently taking classes to learn Mandarin.

 

WOULD YOU RATHER…

Go to the theater or a movie?

Theater – you can watch a movie at home.

Sesame seeds or poppy seeds?

Poppy seeds.  That seed is responsible for a lot more than the humble sesame seed.

Thanks George!

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Looking for flowers in New York City? Visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com.

The Starbright Team – Mariana

 

Mariana

We figured it was time to get to know some of the fine folk who work in our office – operating the day to day activities in our client support, as well as making sure the flowers get where they’re going. Today, we’d like to introduce you to Mariana:

 

How many years have you been working at Starbright? Can you mention something about when you started?

I’m actually coming up on a year in a few months! I started at Starbright this past Valentine’s Day and it was probably one of the most overwhelming things I’ve ever been a part of. Valentine’s Day is so amazingly busy for us, that I just had to dive right in and get comfortable in the office pretty quickly.

 

 

What is you position at Starbright?

Well, my official title is “Client Success Advocate”, so I will do just about anything that needs to be done to make sure an order is fulfilled to the best of our abilities – whether it be taking pictures of an arrangement or running out to get a cake, I’ll do it! I also take orders over the phone and work closely with Stephen and Nic with whatever they need.

What’s your favorite flower? color? 

My favorite color is blue, but when it comes to flowers it would have to be purple or pink.  One of my all-time favorite flowers is purple stock – it always contributes something sweet and simple to an arrangement.

What’s your favorite floral style?

My favorite floral style would probably be romantic and modern mixed together. I really like the shapes that we create when an order calls for something modern. And you can never go wrong with something romantic!

Name one thing you love about working at Starbright. 

The environment, definitely. Everybody in the store gets along and we know how to have a laugh during a stressful time, and then get back to work when we need to. I know if I ever have a bad day, someone in the office will be able to cheer me up.

What languages do you speak?

I speak English, Spanish and a lick of Greek. My Spanish is pretty good, since I lived in Chile for a year and my mom is a native speaker. I can say cake in Greek, which let’s face it, is really the only word you need to know.

 

WOULD YOU RATHER…

Wear a sweater or sweatshirt?

Can’t go wrong with a big, comfy sweater!

Go to the theater or a movie?

Movie, definitely. Biiig movie geeks in my family.

Sesame seeds or poppy seeds?

Neither!

Thanks Mariana!

 

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Looking for flowers in New York City? Visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com.

To Pin Or Not To Pin

When it comes to boutonnières, this is a pretty common question. Put your worries to rest, Starbright Floral Design will always include pins…whether or not you decide to use them.

At one point, every suit lapel was made with the expectation of wearing a boutonnière. If you happen to have a vintage suit in your closet, take a peek at the underside of the left lapel. You may find a flat loop about one inch below that buttonless buttonhole. This detail made it easy for a man of elegance to slip the stem of a boutonnière flower through the hole and under the loop so that it stayed secure, sans pins. While the extra buttonhole persists as a menswear standard, the boutonnière loop, unfortunately, seems to have faded into the past. Many suits today are designed without the boutonnière loop or an open buttonhole. Not to worry! This is a situation that either your tailor or you, and some YouTube tutorials, can solve in no time.

But don’t feel pressured to try your hand at tailoring in the days leading up to your big event! Boutonnière flowers today are commonly reserved for special occasions; while a single bloom used to be common, now boutonnières generally include at least three or more flowers, some type of greenery, as well as decorative ribbon for stem wrapping. With all that going on, it is not only perfectly acceptable, but also more common, to wear your boutonnière pinned to the outside of your lapel. About the only thing affected by the pins will be your suit.

If the boutonnière wants to be pinned to the jacket let the buttonhole placement guide you. Depending on the size of your arrangement, the bottom of the blooms in your boutonnière should be level with, or not too far below, the extra buttonhole on your left lapel. The tips of the flowers shouldn’t go above the seam where the collar and lapel meet, nor should they be below the extra buttonhole.  Basically, if you’ve covered the extra buttonhole – you’re good.

Boutonnières from Starbright Floral Design
Boutonnières from Starbright Floral Design

Starbright’s designer, Patti Ann, put together three examples of light weight designs that may be worn pinned or tucked through the hole and loop.

1. Mini Dahlia, Thistle, and Seeded Eucalyptus:

The dahlia and thistle in this boutonnière represent strength and grace.

2. Mini Calla Lily, Seeded Eucalyptus, and Dusty Miller:

Know you’ve picked The One? The calla lily symbolizes deep wisdom and intuition.

3. Ranunculus, Brunia, and Seeded Eucalyptus:

And by selecting a boutonnière with ranunculus, you’ll be representing everlasting commitment and devotion.

Would you like more info about boutonnières?

The Gentleman’s Gazette has provided a couple comprehensive articles full of the history, how-to, and general encouragement of the gentlemen’s boutonnière.

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Looking for flowers in New York City? Visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com.

The Starbright Team – Abe



ABE7
We figured it was time to let you get to know some of the people who work in our office – operating the day to day activities in our client support, as well as making sure the flowers get where they’re going. Today, we’d like to introduce you to Abe:

 

“It’s the team spirit that makes it so great to be here”, says Abe, a seven year veteran of the Starbright Floral office team. But we think it might have something to do with the samples as well – Abe has exceptional taste (pun intended),  and is responsible for our Gourmet Corner.  On the phones, Abe offers years of flower knowledge. He prefers to get to know the recipient by getting to know their taste, rather than what their favorite flower might be – “I find it’s all about who the person is, and getting to know that person through the customer.” His favorite flower is the white calla lily, which he finds lends itself well to Modern arrangements. He speaks Arabic and a little French.

 

WOULD YOU RATHER…

Go to the theater or a movie?

Abe would rather attend the theatre.

 

Pop or Soda?

No matter what it’s called, Abe, doesn’t drink either. He’ll take the Vodka Martini straight up with olives please.

Thanks Abe!

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Looking for flowers in New York City? Visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com.

The Starbright Team – Spiros



Spiros

 

We figured it was time to let you get to know some of the people who work in our office – operating the day to day activities in our client support, as well as making sure the flowers get where they’re going. Today, we’d like to introduce you to Spiros:

 

 

 

 

Spiros joined the Starbright team eight months ago, following a 12-year sales stint at Citibank. He’s currently the head of event operations, as well as a salesperson for general orders. His favorite flower is the hydrangea, and his favorite color is blue (sorry, ladies – he’s spoken for, so just go ahead and order the blue hydrangeas for yourself.) He’s a fan of contemporary floral design – “I get excited when I see Starbright designers reaching into their diverse backgrounds and experiences to deliver fresh, high-quality arrangements. Customers keep on coming back because we don’t just shove flowers in a vase and call it a day – they come back because we really go the extra distance to show we care about the customer and their event.”

 

“Starbright is a family, everyone works well together. There’s a lot of nationalities here – on any day in the office you’ll hear Greek, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese. And English. I speak Greek, and obviously English. I’m working on my Spanish.”

 

WOULD YOU RATHER…

Go to the theater or a movie?

Theater.  I would prefer seeing something live and I am a fan of Broadway.

 

Sesame seeds or poppy seeds?

Sesame seeds.

Thanks Spiros!

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Looking for flowers in New York City? Visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com.

The Starbright Team – Constantine

 

Constantine

 

 

We figured it was time to let you get to know some of the people who work in our office, manning the phones and making sure the flowers get where they’re going. Today, we’d like to introduce you to Constantine:

 

 

 

How many years have you been working at Starbright? Can you mention something about when you started?

I’ve been here at Starbright for quite a while actually. I started working here in the winter of 2005, so we are approaching the 10 year mark. When I started here, we were downstairs at ground level and had a different feel entirely. Being here my whole adult life, I’ve seen this company grow as well. The company has expanded leaps and bounds, and in that time I’ve grown as well … both personally and professionally.

What is your position at Starbright?

My title at Starbright is Director of Accounting. I handle all the administrative aspects of the company and work hand in hand with both Nic and Stephen on various aspects within the company.

 What’s your favorite flower? color?

I would say my favorite color is Lime Green. A nice deep Blue is a close second but I think the Lime takes the cake. As far as a favorite flower goes I am a big fan of Cymbidium Orchids and Chocolate Cosmos (not placed together, but beautiful in their own right)

What’s your favorite floral style?

I love a modern design style in a floral arrangement. Very clean, very simple and very elegant. I am a big art lover, and usually my preference is usually the older the better (Old Master, etc.) but when it comes to a floral arrangement I am on the complete opposite side of the spectrum.

Name one thing you love about working at Starbright.

It’s like a giant family here. Everyone is so nice and has their own unique thing they bring to the table. As far as a boss goes you couldn’t do better than Nic. Not only has he been a mentor to me, he has been a father figure as well and completely taken me under his wing. Stephen is like a brother to me, also being one of my closest friends outside of the workplace. It’s nice to come to work every day and be able to see one of your best friends.

What languages do you speak?

Besides English, my Greek is horrible (definitely one of my goals is to brush up on it, would absolutely make my family happy) and I have a basic Spanish (whatever I remember from Middle and High School).

 

WOULD YOU RATHER…

Wear jeans or chinos?

Mostly Jeans, but I can definitely say I have a few pairs of chinos in the wardrobe as well. So I don’t think I can take a side.

Go to the theater or a movie?

Movies definitely! Was a film major in college, so I like to think I have a good understanding when it comes to the silver screen.

Sesame seeds or poppy seeds?

Just like Elaine from Seinfeld … totally on Team Poppy Seed.

Pop or soda?

Soda … I guess I am a snooty New Yorker, whenever I hear it referred to as pop it makes my skin crawl a little.

 

Thanks Constantine! 

 

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Looking for flowers in New York City? Visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com.

Celebrate Fall Foliage in New York City

Leaves

 

New York City might be a Concrete Jungle, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not also a great place to catch some fall foliage. We’re in the thick of October, which means that the next three weekends are going to be among the best of the year for viewing fantastic local color. This week’s blog is a collection of great places to catch some great trees without leaving New York City limits.

Without further ado, here’s our breakdown for Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan:

QUEENS:

1 – Alley Pond Park’s “Yellow Trail” – Alley Pond is an interesting park. It sits more-or-less in a glacial moraine, which is a land formation composed of many mixed materials left behind by the glaciers that created Long Island and Manhattan. As a result, Alley Pond Park has a highly diverse ecosystem, with a whole bunch of trees. There are mostly hardwoods, oak and hickory. Alley Pond also boasts a public high-ropes course!

2 – Astoria Park – The color here is offset by the mixed-blues and greys backdrop of ocean, sky and Manhattan Skyline. While you’re here, you might as well get some great Greek food at Stamatis on 23rd Avenue or BBQ at Strand Smokehouse on Broadway.

MANHATTAN:

1 – The West Village – There are a ton of trees here. Every block looks like a movie set for “old timey New Yawk,” if you can ignore the fro-yo shops. What’s cool about a West Village foliage walk is that you can also do some shopping, stop at Magnolia Cupcakes, or expand your world percussion collection at the same time.

2 – Central Park – But you knew that, you’re a smart cookie. I mean, there’s over 23,000 trees there, which is an average of over 1,000 per acre. Anywhere you go, it’s going to be great.

BROOKLYN:

1 – Prospect Park – The same rules as Central Park apply – there are a ton of trees here, and it’s beautiful everywhere.

2 – Ocean Parkway – If you’ve got a car, try heading for a ride down Ocean Parkway, from the Prospect Expressway down to Coney Island. It’s tree-lined the whole way down, and passes through a wide range of neighborhoods. The drive is a real slice of old-skool New York City, taking you through the real Brooklyn.

 

And if you can’t make it outside – don’t forget that Starbright Floral Design is happy to bring the season to you. We’re featuring a ton of autumnal arrangements with colored leaves, fall foods, and seasonal weeds (the pretty sort).

not edible
Apples are showing up everywhere!

 

And because we can’t help our seasonal joy – today we’re sharing a special New York style apple pie recipe from the Starbright team! Happy Fall!

BIG APPLE PIE

In New York, sometimes there just isn’t room for kitchen equipment – it’s a cold hard fact that can really cramp one’s cooking style. This recipe comes from one our team, who first learned how to make this recipe entirely by hand! She’s since then added a food processor to the process, both methods are listed below.

PIE CRUST :

  • 2 1/2 cups flour (the general sort)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 cup of butter (still cold! cut into small cubes)
  • 1/3 cup water (ice cold)

1. Combine flour, salt and sugar in a bowl – give it a couple gentle stirs to mix.

2. Add the butter – mix the butter and dry combination until combined and looking like course meal.

  • By Hand : Use a wooden or metal spoon to sort of mash the butter into the dry mix repeatedly against the side of the bowl, while turning the bowl for the best leverage – cold butter can be uncooperative. Be careful to not overdue it though, the goal is to keep the butter cold throughout this process. Chasing just the big lumps of butter into only the very dry floury leftovers will help. And get ready, this hand process won’t be quick
  • By Food Processor : Add your dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and pulse for 2 seconds to combine. Next, add the butter, and pulse again until the mixture looks like course meal – about 8 seconds.

3. Add ice cold water.

  • By Hand : Add about half of the water and combine gently. Add more water slowly until the dough holds together. The goal is to get all the dough to hold together with the least amount of water.
  • By Food Processor : Add the water in a steady stream through the processor’s tube until the dough just holds together. Do not process for more than 20 seconds to combine the water.

4. Turn out the dough onto a surface and divide into two roughly the same size balls. Press the dough flat (by hand). Wrap the flattened balls in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for at least an hour.

 

FILLING :

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

  • 1 lemon, squeezed – about 2 tbsp juice
  • 8 apples (your choice!)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 brown sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt

1. Peel and cut apples into slices or wedges that are about 1/4″ thick. Toss with lemon juice to prevent browning.

2. Combine remain ingredients in a bowl and mix until apples are fully coated with sugar.

 

PUT THE PIE TOGETHER

  • 2tbsp butter (cut into small cubes)

1. Roll out one of the flattened dough balls and lay it into a buttered pie plate to form the outside crust. Let any over hanging dough stay there for a minute.

2. Add the pie filling to the crust. It’ll look like there’s too much – pile the filling mound higher at the center.

3. Press the butter cubes into the filling – spaced out.

4. Rollout the second dough ball on a floured surface. This will be for the top of the pie. Wet the edge of the bottom of the pie crust and lay the top on evenly.  The wetted edge will help them stick together. Look up some decorative designs if you’d like to make yours unique!

5. Make sure the pie crust has a vent. If the crust is left solid, it will probably break and ooze apple filling…A lesson learned after one memorable mess. Cutting 4 or 5 slits in the top crust should do the trick.

 

BAKE IT!

1. When the oven is at 450 degrees, slip in the pie. Bake for 20 minutes.

2. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees and continue baking until the pie looks done. “Looking done” requires about 45-60 more minutes and a golden-brown crust.

3. If you don’t want to globby mess, allow the pie to cool completely before serving. It’ll take about 5-6 hours.

 

ENJOY!

 

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Looking for flowers in New York City? Visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com.