First We Were IV Blog Tour: The Order of IV Apple Pie Recipe + Giveaway!

Posted April 25, 2017 by Melissa in Uncategorized / 2 Comments

Hi everyone! Welcome to our stop in the First We Were IV Blog Tour hosted by Brittany of Brittany Book Rambles! First We Were IV by Alexandra Sirowy is a YA Mystery/Thriller to be published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers on July 25th. This book is such an intriguing read, because not only does it have mystery, but it’s full interesting facts and a gripping storyline that my sister & I certainly love in books. With that said, we are super thrilled for our stop to share with you a recipe inspired by First We Were IV plus a tour-wide giveaway that can be found at the end of this post. Enjoy!!!

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First We Were IV
by Alexandra Sirowy
YA Thriller
July 25th, 2017 from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers 

A group of friends start a secret society in this out-of-control thriller from the author of The Telling and The Creeping that examines the all-consuming love of lifelong friendship—and what someone is capable of when they’re afraid of losing it.

Izzie loves nothing more than her three best friends, Viv, Graham, and Harry, and the bond the four of them share. And she’s terrified of their friendship falling apart next year when they go off to college. To bind them together, she decides to create that will belong only to them, a special thing that they’ll always share between the four of them. And so they dream up the Order of IV, a secret society devoted to mischief that rights wrongs and pays back debts. At first, it works like a charm—but when the Order of IV’s escapades get recognition beyond their wildest expectations, other people start wanting in. And soon, what started as a game of friendship is spiraling into something dangerous and beyond their control—and before it’s over, they’ll pay the ultimate sacrifice.

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The Order of IV Apple Pie!

The inspiration behind this recipe is because in First We Were IV, the four main characters hang out (on most of their free time) in a Barn in the middle of an Apple orchard ever since they were kids. In this place is where they feel at home, where they truly can be themselves, and where eventually they decide to create the Order of IV (their secret society). Apple pie is the first thing that usually pops up into our minds when we have a lot of apples at hand, and we like to imagine that this pie recipe comes from the very apples from their Orchard, their safe haven, and fortress. The very witness to their strong friendship and the Order of IV.



INGREDIENTS:
Crust:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
5.3 oz salted butter cut into small squares
1 oz vegetable shortening
3 tbsp light brown sugar
6 tbsp cold water

Filling:
3 big apples 
1 tbsp Lemon juice 
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Apple juice reduction
Apple Juice Reduction:
11.32 oz Apple juice (any sweetened favorite brand)
2 tbsp Cornstarch
2 tbsp light brown sugar (optional: add more or less depending on your sweet tooth)
Optional:
1 egg
1-2 tbsp of light brown sugar
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F 10 minutes before baking.
For the crust, measure and prepare all the ingredients. In a bowl, add the flour and sugar and mix them together. Then, add the butter and shortening and knead by hand until you come up with crumbs. By that time, add the water and knead just enough to form a ball of dough. Wrap the dough in plastic and store in the freezer until needed (at least an hour). 
For the apple juice reduction, place a saucepan with the juice, sugar and cornstarch in low heat. Stir very quickly to dissolve the cornstarch then let it simmer for about 5 minutes or until it thickens. It should be about a cup.
For the filling, wash the apples very well and cut them into four pieces (forming wedges), remove the stems and the seeds. Slice the apples very thinly and in vertical, place them into a clean bowl and toss them around along with the lemon juice, the apple juice reduction, and the cinnamon. Reserve. 
To prepare the pie for baking, roll out the crust dough (about 1/4 inch thick) into the 8 inch baking pie plate, poke the crust several times with a fork, arrange the apple pie filling and use the leftover crust for decorations. Brush the pie with egg wash for a golden effect and sprinkle with sugar if desired. Place in the oven for 1-1.5 hours (depends on oven).
When the pie is baked, let it cool, then decorate with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream or with anything of your choosing. This time, we decorated with a crust shaped like the number IV in honor of the Order of IV!
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Giveaway!

One signed ARC of First We Were IV

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Tour Schedule: 
Week 1
March 27: Brittany’s Book Rambles – Intro Post + Excerpt
March 28: YA and Wine – Most Mischievous YA Characters 
March 29: Rattle the Pages – Nail Art
March 30: Book Nerd Addict – Inventing A Secret Society
March 31: Fables Library – YA Books with Secret Societies

Week 2
April 3: Emily Reads Everything – Fancast 
April 4: The Eater of Books – History of Secret Societies
April 5: It Starts At Midnight – Author Guest Post: FIRST WE WERE IV vs. Alexandra’s Previous Books
April 6: BookCatPin – Mystery YA List
April 7: A Book and a Cup of Coffee – Moodboard

Week 3
April 10: The Book Buzz – YA Thrillers You Need to Know About

April 11: The Candid Cover – Bookworm Initiation Quiz

April 12: Girl in the Pages – Book Recs for First We Were IV Characters
April 13: Stories and Sweeties – Author Guest Post – Story Behind the Title
April 14: Little Lillie Reads – Playlist

Week 4
April 17: Literary Legionnaire – Favorite Quotes 
April 18: Chapter by Chapter – Author Guest Post: Secret Society Initiation Rituals
April 19: Tales of the Ravenous Reader – Secret Societies You Never Knew Existed
April 20: YA Book Central – Author Guest Post:  3 Favorite Books About Secret Societies
April 21: The Bookish Feels – Author’s March Favorites

Week 5
April 24: Waiting For Wentworth – Author Guest Post: Secret Society Rules
April 25: The Reader and the Chef – Book Inspired-Recipe (us!)
April 26: Forever Lost in Literature – Author Guest Post: What We Do For Friendship
April 27: Flying Through Fiction – Favorite YA Friendships
April 28: One Way or an Author – Phone Wallpapers
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About Alexandra Sirowy

Alexandra Sirowy is the author of the young adult thrillers THE CREEPING, the Bram Stoker Award® Nominated THE TELLING, and the upcoming FIRST WE WERE IV. Alexandra attended a women’s college as an undergrad and received her graduate degree in International Studies. When she isn’t writing, she loves to travel, read, eat, and get into mischief. She lives with her husband in Northern California.


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