Easy as Apple Pie

admin — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 20:32:23 +0000

Easy as apple pie. All American as apple pie. My mother must be one of the founding mothers of this country’s all Americanism as she is probably the best apple pie maker in the entire country. Humble as she is she would definitely tah tah that statement. But, nonetheless, she is an incredible baker and pies are her specialty. She has the knack for an incredible, flaky crust that is light and tasty. Her apple mixture is also something that is very difficult to duplicate. She mostly uses Cortland apples which is a northeastern variety. It is a tart/sweet apple that is perfect for baking and eating. More important that the filling is the crust itself. Here is my mother’s recipe, which was her mother’s recipe, and now it is yours! Remember, making the perfect pie crust is an art. It takes practice, the correct tools, and then more practice.

Pie Crust-2 crusts
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup Crisco
1/3 + a little more ice water, the colder the better

1. Mix flour and salt together with a fork.
2. Add Crisco and cut in with a knife and fork.
3. Continue mixing with a pastry blender. Chop fine.
4. Pour water into flour mix. Start with 1/3 cup of the water. Mix and form a ball. It should stick together but not be too sticky (sticky sticky as Mom states )
5. Wrap the ball in waxed paper and refrigerate for 2 hours.
6.Divide the dough almost in half. The bottom crust should be slightly larger than the top crust. Roll out in a circle on a floured surface. Make sure that the crust is about a 1/4 inch larger than the pie plate. Place in the pie dish and trim so that the edge hangs evenly over the side about 1/4 inch. Brush milk on the outside edge.
7. Place the pie filling in the crust. (Recipe to follow)
8. Roll out the top crust. Fold in half to move, cut a few slits in the top. Place evenly on the top. Roll up the bottom crust and fold over the edge. Press the 2 edges together with either a fork or by crimping together with your fingers. (Look at picture)
9. Brush top with milk and sprinkle with sugar if desired.
10. Bake in a preheated 400* oven for 15 minutes. Lower temperature to 350* and continue baking for 45 minutes.

Single Pie Crust: Cut recipe in half

Single Pie Crust that needs to be baked before filling is added (such as for Lemon Meringue or a cream pie.)
Prepare half of above recipe. Fork stab the bottom a few times (good for getting out a few frustrations). Bake in a 350* oven for about 20 minutes.

Apple Pie Filling
8-10 apples depending on size
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
2/3 cup sugar (blend brown and white together for Mom’s special flavor)

Rainy November Saturdays = Apple Dessert Baking

admin — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 00:43:25 +0000

Freshly Picked Cortland Apples

Today was a rainy November Saturday in New England. Great day to explore some back roads that all lead to Brookfield Orchards where I purchased my weekly fill of Cortland apples. I think Cortland apples taste the best in so many apple desserts and by themselves. When I returned, I decided to recycle the old apples from the refrigerator and make a deep dish apple pie. I also had some of our home grown apples left so I mixed the two. All effort was worth it just for the aroma wafting from the oven as the pie baked. It was delicious warm with a small scoop of French vanilla ice cream. I have many scrumptious apple recipes. I recently posted one for apple crisp. Here are a couple more worth making.

Deep Dish Apple Pie

Deep Dish Apple Pie

Pie crust

10 apples-peeled and sliced thin

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

3 tbsp. brown sugar

3 tbsp. white sugar

Peel and slice apples. Place in a deep dish casserole dish. Add spices and sugars, mix. Roll out crust and place on top of apples. Seal by crimping edges. Place some slits on the top of the crust and sprinkle with a little suga. Bake in 400ºoven for 1 hour.

Apple Brownies Recipe

Apple Brownies

2/3 C. butter 1 C. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar 2 eggs

1 1/2 C. flour 2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt 1 t. vanilla

1 C. apples, chopped fine ½ cup raisins

½ cup chopped nuts

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well.

Add flour, baking powder, and salt; stir well. Stir in apples.
Bake in a greased and floured 9 x 9 pan at 350° F. for 35-40 minutes.

Applesauce

10 Cortland apples, peeled and sliced 1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg ¼ cup sugar, brown or white

Peel apples and place in a saucepan. Add spices, sugar, and 1 cup water. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about ½ hour, til apples are tender.

Applesauce Muffins

2 ½ cups flour 2 cups sugar

1 ½ tsp. baking soda 1 ½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. cloves ½ tsp. allspice

1 ½ c. applesauce ½ cup water

2 eggs

Mix all ingredients. Place in 24 muffin tins and bake in a 350º oven for 20-25 minutes.

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Easy as Apple Pie

Rainy November Saturdays = Apple Dessert Baking