Apple Pie

Growing up, my younger sister, Lacey Beth, was the pie master. Apple pie, specifically. My mom taught her how to make it and she seemed to be able to magically manipulate the pie crust to do as she wished.

I remember the first time she made biscuits. My Grammy was at our house and she watched carefully as mom taught Lace how to make them. When the biscuits came out of the oven, Mom and Grammy declared that they were the best, fluffiest biscuits they had ever tasted. She just had the touch.

So it's fitting that my sister is the one who taught me how to make Apple Pie. My mom has given me a few pointers since then, but it's one of my favorite cooking memories...my sister, teaching me to make a pie.

Brad and I were newly married, just three or four months, and Lace came down for a first-time visit to the apartment. I had just been apple picking and had bought more apples than I knew what to do with. I was dying to learn to make a pie so Lace taught me, early that Sunday morning, "Roll the dough this way." "No, use a fork to mix the dough." "You need more flour." It was the best, most delicious pie I had tasted. Mostly, just because she had been the one to teach me. Ever since, apple pie makes me think of Lace.

Apple Pie

Makes one 10-inch pie

Total Time: 1 1/2 to 2 hours

1 recipe for double crust pie dough, see here

8 - 9 of your favorite baking apples (Paula Reds, Cortland, McIntosh, Empire)

I am not a fan of crunchy apples in my pie and like to pick sweeter, saucier apples like the ones listed above. The ever-popular Granny Smith does not make a good pie, in my opinion, because they never cook down. Similarly, I would steer clear of Red Delicious, Golden Delicious or Gala. But of course, this is a preference thing. 

1 cup sugar

1 T. flour

pinch of salt

a few shakes of cinnamon

1 T. flour

1 T. butter

A note: This recipe is for a 10-inch pie plate which they don't make anymore. The pie plates I own have been passed down by my Grammy and mom, just like these recipes. So you may need to adjust the filling a little bit if you have a 9-inch pie plate. Simply use a little less sugar and cut fewer apples.

Start by making your pie dough and rolling out the bottom crust.

You can find instructions for crust making and assembly here.

Once your bottom crust is rolled out and you've lined your pie plate with it, 

then you're ready to fill it with apples. 

Start by mixing together the sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

Peel and quarter 8 - 9 apples, enough to fill your pie plate.

Spread 1 T. flour along the bottom of your crust-lined pie plate.

Fill with apples. You want it to be heaping. Try to arrange the apples so that none of them are poking straight upwards, otherwise it might poke a hole in your crust. 

Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the apples. Sprinkle with a little more cinnamon. 

Then cut your tablespoon of butter into small pieces and place them around on top of the apples.

Proceed with pie assembly, topping with top crust and covering with cream. 

Again, you can see instructions for this process here.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Then reduce to 375 degrees until crust is golden and you can see the filling bubbling through the slits in the crust. Sometimes, my edges don't seal well and my pie starts to run over. If so, place a layer of tin foil under the pie to catch spills and keep your oven clean. 

Pie is yummy warm, but may also be served at room temperature. 

My family doesn't refrigerate apple pie, but simply leaves it on the counter covered by a paper towel.

Recipe from my Grammy and Mom.