Pie, Pie and More Pie! Apple Pie!

Oh, for the love of pie. I don't make them very often, but how I love a good pie. Cream pie, fruit pie...I'm not particular. And you might not know this, but I make a pretty mean apple pie.

Years ago, before my youngest child was born, I ran a small catering business out of my home. As the holidays approached, I would host an open house with a spread of holiday favorites and then take orders. It always baffled me how everyone would ooh and aah over my apple pie. Then I finally figured it out. They were used to frozen or store-bought pies. Not a freshly made pie, brimming with fresh apples and spices. You wouldn't believe how many I sold.

Of course, last week was Thanksgiving. And Thanksgiving always includes two types of pie at my house--pumpkin and apple. So here we go.

For this little venture, you're going to need:

• One package of pre-rolled pie crusts or enough of your favorite pie crust dough for two crusts
• 6 cups of tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced  (I prefer Granny Smith and use about 6 large apples)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

 

Line your pie plate, preferably a deep-dish one, with the first uncooked crust and set aside while we peel, core, and slice our apples. I have one of those little gizmos like Jan has that makes this process so much easier. Of course, I forgot to take a pic of mine, so you can see it here, along with Jan's recipe for caramel apple pie.

Then I add the lemon juice to the apples and stir to coat. This helps keep them from turning brown. Although, as you can see, some of mine were already starting to turn.

 

Next, I mix up my dry ingredients--the sugars, flour, and spices.

 

Pour that over the apples.

 

And stir to coat.

 

Ooo, those juices are seeping out already.

 

Dump into crust-lined pie plate and dot mixture with butter.

 

 

Lay your second crust over the top, crimp/seal your edges, and cut holes/slits in the top to vent.

 

I like to brush the top of the crust with an egg wash and sprinkle on a little cinnamon/sugar mixture.

 

Now cover the edges of your crust (why do my fingers keep wanting to spell it curst?) with three-inch wide strips of aluminum foil to prevent your edges from burning.

 

Bake for 25-30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

When your crust is brown and the juice is bubbling, your pie is done.

 

 

So I made this the morning before Thanksgiving. Later, when I was picking up my mother for her hair appointment, my cell phone rings. It's my youngest son wanting to know if he can have some pie.

"No, you may not."

"Why not?"

"Because it's for Thanksgiving."

"Fine." BIG SIGH.

 

Well, he did manage to wait. However, the pie was gone so quick that I didn't get a picture. But you can imagine the layers of fruit mingled with those spicy, gooey juices.

 

Yum!

 

So how was your Thanksgiving? Ours was small, but very enjoyable. This year, I brined our turkey and I can tell you that I will never go back to traditional methods. It was AMAZING. So juicy and flavorful. And believe it or not, the whole process was much easier. No rubbing the cavity with salt, etc. Once it came out of the brine, all I did was rinse it and put it in the pan. Next time I'll have to take pics so I can share with y'all.