Apple Pie

Apple Pie
Source: Better Homes and Gardens

Ah, pie. It looks like it should be an elaborate, difficult thing, but...it honestly isn't that bad. The recipe we made tonight was straight from the book, but I've included a couple of alternate ideas to change things up wantonly. Make it your pie!

Pastry Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• OPTIONAL: 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup shortening, cold butter, or a mix of both
• cold water, 8-10 Tbsp (or a little over 1/2 cup)
• OPTIONAL: 1/2 cup shredded old cheddar cheese

Pastry Instructions

In a medium to large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and sugar (if using).

Using a pastry blender or a couple of knives, cut in butter/shortening until mixture is crumby with pieces the size of a pea. If using cheese, stir it in here.

Sprinkle water, 1 Tbsp at a time, while stirring with a fork. Only add enough to get the dough moist enough to hold together. Divide in half, and form into a ball. Set aside.

Pie Ingredients

• Your pastry!
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 6 (or more!) apples, peeled/cored/sliced.
• OPTIONAL: 1/3 cup (or more) dried cranberries
• OPTIONAL: 1 cup raspberries
• OPTIONAL: 1/3 cup chopped almonds
• OPTIONAL: Lemon rind? Maple syrup? Whatever else might be good in a pie!

Pie Instructions

Preheat oven to 375F. Set aside a 9-inch pie pan.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together flour/sugar/cinnamon/nutmeg, then stir in the fruit. Set aside.

On a large floured surface, roll out a ball of dough to form a 12-inch circle. Carefully transfer into pie pan - one tip is to roll it around the rolling pin and unroll it onto the pan. Trim edges to within 1/2 inch of the pan edges, and add remainder to the second ball (or patch any holes).

Dump the fruit into the pie tin, heaping if necessary.

Roll out the second ball of dough. One option is to cut it into strips, and weave a pattern over the pie filling. The other is to make a second circle, cut some cute shapes or some uncute vents into it, and transfer it on top of the fruit filling.

Trim extreme excess, but fold the top crust underneath the edges of the bottom crust, pinching to seal and crimp the edges.

Decorate with spare pastry dough, if you want.

Bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes, until filling is tender and bubbling.

Let cool for an hour. This is easily the hardest step. Serve, warm or cold.

Back to The Kitchen Sink.