Sunday, October 26, 2008

Apple Pie


Just a few miles from Downtown Seattle is South 47 Farms. Their big draw on the weekend before Halloween is an offering of carving and cooking pumpkins. We went to the farm for another fall item, though - apples. From their modest apple orchard we were fortunate enough to pick to our hearts' content and gathered enough to bake one pie and then some.

Refrigerated pastry dough and apples in hand, I asked my Mother-in-law for her apple pie filling recipe. Thanks to the hard work of my husband and Father-in-law, we ate the most delicious apple pie I've ever tasted. It was so delectable, in fact, that I am sharing the filling recipe with you.

Happy baking and bon apple-tite!

Apple Pie

Ingredients:
• About 7 cups of apples, peeled, cored, quartered, and sliced into 1/4" pieces (enough to make a big mound in your pie tin)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg to taste
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon (any more would be overpowering)
• Good pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (leave this out if you use very tart apples, like Gold Rush or Northern Spy)
• 2 tablespoons of butter, cubed
• Pre-made two-piece pie crust, so you'll have a top crust (or you can make your own crust if you like. Show-off.)

Tools:
• Pie tin or pie plate
• Measuring cup and measuring spoons
• Very large mixing bowl
• Baking sheet (to go on the lower rack of the oven to catch any drips from the pie)

Preparation:
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and put the baking sheet on the bottom rack.
• Place the sliced apples in the pie plate to check that you have enough for a good mound.
• Transfer the apples to the mixing bowl and toss them with everything except the butter and the crust.
• Arrange one of the two crust pieces into the bottom of the pie plate, starting from the center and then pressing down so that it makes it evenly to the corners.
• Pour the filling into the crust-lined pie plate.
• Sprinkle the cubed butter all over the top of the filling.
• Arrange the other crust piece on top of the filling, crimp the pastry together around the edge, and cut a bunch of little vents in the top crust.
• Place the pie on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 45 – 50 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
• IMPORTANT - let cool to room temperature for 4 hours. I know. If you don't, though, all the juice will run out and the pie will fall apart. If you wait, though, the filling will reabsorb the juices, and you'll get beautiful solid slices. Your patience will be rewarded.

1 comment:

Joel Jodi n Mel said...

I am totally going to try this out! We love apple pie! Happy Holidays