I love the fall season. The colors are great, the weather turns cooler, and it just feels good to be alive! I know Washington state is well known for apples, but Ohio has a really good apple season, too, with locally grown varieties and locally made cider (not hard cider, for our British friends).
One of our fall traditions is having homemade apple pie. Other than homemade, apple pie isn’t worth the trouble of ordering, let alone worth the money. The only way around this issue is to make it myself. My mom taught me a great way to make crust, and it’s never failed me. I only make pie once a year, so I always end up calling her to confirm temps and cooking times, and she never fails to give me the right answers!
The crust recipe is counter to many I’ve heard of, as it uses hot water instead of cold. Here’s the recipe:
3/4 cup shortening or lard
1/4 cup boiling water
a pinch of salt
2 cups all purpose flour
Put the shortening in a mixing bowl and add the boiling water. Mix with a fork until all the water and shortening are mixed and smooth. Add the flour and salt, and mix with the fork until the crust comes together. It shouldn’t be smooth, just mixed evenly. Divide into 2 parts and roll into crusts.
NOTE: My mom called me on 11/2 to remind me that I forgot to mention to be sure to roll out the dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper. You’ll be sorry if you don’t!
For the filling, I like to use apples like Jonathons, Melrose, Winesap, Northern Spy, Ida Red, or others that hold their shape well. Soft apples need not apply!
7-8 medium apples, mixed variety
1 cup turbinado sugar
2 heaping tablespoons flour
Cinnamon to taste (I like a lot!)
Butter (to be used later)
My wife usually helps with the apples; we use an apple peeler/corer/slicer. This thing works great, and makes the apple work go much quicker! After sending apples through the machine, the apples are cut in half, leaving perfectly cut 1/4" slices. Once all apples are cut, add the sugar, flour and cinammon, and then carefully fold the ingredients together, being careful not to break the apples more than necessary.
Put one of the crusts in a pie pan, then fill with the above ingredients. Once the apples are in the crust, place 1/2" square pieces of butter around the top of the pie in about 6 places, then place the top crust on the pie. Cut the excess around the pie pan edge, and crimp the crusts together. Using a knife, make several small slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape during baking.
Cook the pie at 450 for 10 minutes, then lower the temp to 350 for another 50 minutes. Enjoy with a slice of good English cheddar, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
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Apple Pie is my absolute favorite! Happy Halloween!
Nicole, it’s one of the few desserts I do, and I ONLY do it with apples in season (Generally October here). I like going to the orchard to pick out the apples, and then using apples I know are from the area. Just part of the tradition, I guess.
Curt,
What is turbinado sugar?
I can’t wait to try this pie crust. I tend to overwork the crusts, making them tough, I know!
Laura (from BBQBible)
Laura… Nice to see you over here, too!
Here’s the Wikipedia entry for turbinado sugar:
Turbinado sugar (popular brand name(s) include Sugar in the Raw) is a type of sugar cane extract. It is made by steaming unrefined raw sugar.
Turbinado sugar is similar in appearance to brown sugar but paler, and in general the two can be exchanged freely in recipes.
Related types of raw sugar include Muscovado and Demerara (sugar).
It’s basically less processed sugar. Kroger carries their own brand now, which is pretty reasonably priced. I like the texture of it, and that it’s not as processed; I’m trying to move to less processed foods.
Curt,
I was thinking it was raw sugar (Starbucks junkie!) but wasn’t sure. Hubby like a great pie, so if your mama says it’s good, it works for me!
Can we get a good peach pie or cherry pie recipe from you?
Laura
“Sugar In The Raw” is a brand name for a type of cane sugar. There are several of them out there, but Kroger is a bit finer grain, which works well, too. For rubs, I sometimes grind up the turbinado a bit more.
My mom likes this because it’s how she makes it, and taught me. But I don’t do peach of cherry, sorry.
I only do a few desserts: apple pie, tiramisu, creme brulee and chocolate creme fraiche.
Curt…
always the food critique that I am…and the crazy baker as well…
I think this year’s pie needed more tart apples…not sure which you used…but years past have been better…
On your crust…if you split out the lard for part butter or butter flavoring…it will be ligther…not sure how this would work with the hot water though…something to try perhaps…
Maybe I’ll try it on a new recipe…cranberry and Pear pie…interesting
Kammie, next time I won’t send any home with Josh!
Everyone has their idea of crust and what they prefer; I happen to like this one, which uses shortening, probably because it’s what my mom uses. It’s flakey and tastey, in my opinion.
But next time you make a pie, let me know… You know I’ll be over to try it!