My Recipe Book

Yummy Apple Pie!

I live near Gold Country. When I was little, my parents took me to this old, Western town where people rode on horse-drawn buggies and wore classic Western costumes. It was beautiful. But what was most amazing was the food. Across the street from the saloon, there was an apple pie place. Like, DEDICATED to Apple Pie. Once you tasted their desserts, you knew why. My first taste of apple pie was life-changing. I fell immediately in love. 

This is my take on Apple Pie, though it is not as heavenly as the generations-long cultivated pie recipes from Gold Country. 

Ingredients----

((For the Crust))

1 1/4 C All-Purpose Flour

2 TSP Granulated Sugar

1/2 TSP Salt

1 Stick Unsalted Butter, Cool and Cubed

1/4 C Ice Water

To Make the Pie Crust:

Mix together the Flour, Sugar, and Salt in a medium-sized bowl with a whisk until fully combined. Sprinkle in the cubes of butter and use a fork to cut the chunks of butter into the dough until the chunks are the size of peas or smaller. Pour in the water and immediately mix it into the dough until moist clumps form. Roll the dough into a large ball, then pat into a disk. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge to chill for at least an hour and up to three days before baking.

((For the Apple Pie Filling))

6-7 Granny Smith Apples, Cored and Peeled

2 TSP Cinnamon

8 TBS Unsalted Butter

3 TBS All-Purpose Flour

1/4 C Water

1 C Granulated Sugar

(Egg Wash--1 egg +1 TBS Water)

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Then, whisk in the flour (keep whisking continuously). Add in water and sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and let sit for about 3 minutes. 

In a large bowl, place peeled, cored, sliced apples and the cinnamon. Toss to combine. Pour the simmering sauce over the cinnamon apples. 

Now you've got a nice bowl of apple pie filling. If waiting an hour for the crust to chill, you can leave this mixture out at room temperature. If waiting a few days, put the mixture in the refrigerator.

To Assemble the Pie:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Prepare a glass pie tin by spraying it with baking grease.

Take your dough out of the refrigerator. Prepare a floured surface by sprinkling flour over a flat table or large cutting board. Roll the dough out on the floured surface until it is wide enough to cover the pie tin. Wrap the dough around your rolling pin to transfer the pie crust dough to the glass pie tin. Ta dah! Step one of assembly: accomplished. 

Take your apple pie filling and pour giant globs of it onto the pie crust. Spread evenly over the crust.

(Optional) You can cover the top of the pie with cinnamon streusel! Or you can make a second batch of pie dough, cut it into inch-long strips, and make a beautiful lattice pattern on top of your pie. Whatever floats your boat!

For streusel-topped pies: Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. Then, decrease temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for an additional 30-40 minutes. 

For Lattice-Topped Pies: Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 50-60 minutes.

For both: Let cool for at least 3 hours before serving to allow the pie to thicken up. :)

And there you have it! A crisp pie crust and delicious apple filling! Let me know in the comments section below how this recipe turned out for you!