Holiday Recipes ~ Brian's Apple Pie

Brian doesn't do much baking, in fact he doesn't make many desserts at all except for apple pie. It's his speciality so to speak. My sister's always request this pie every fall. If we happen to be with my family for Thanksgiving this will be on the dessert table for sure. You know the saying "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach." Well, they forgot to include my sisters.

Apple Pie

This recipe comes form the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book

6 Cups thinly, sliced, peeled apples (Brian likes Granny Smith and Haralson)

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Dash of ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon butter

Pastry for a Double-Crust Pie (see the recipe below)

Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the sugar mixture to the sliced apples; and toss to coat the fruit. Fill a pastry lined 9-inch pie plate with the apple mixture. Cut the butter into small pieces and sprinkle over the fruit. Add the top crust. Seal and flute the edge. Sprinkle a little bit of sugar on top of the crust. Cut three silts in the middle of the crust. Each silt should be about 2 inches long. Cover the edge of pie with foil or use one of those circular things for pies. Bake in a 375 oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil; bake for 20 to 25 minutes more or until the crust is golden. During the last 5-10 minutes of baking place a sheet pan on the lower oven rack to catch any juices. Cool. Serve with ice cream.

Enjoy!!

xoxo

Rachel

Pie Pastry

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp kosher salt

2/3 cup shortening (Brian uses crisco sticks. We keep them in the freezer)

6-7 tablespoons cold water

Stir together the flour and salt. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender until the pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the water over part of the mixture gently toss with a fork. Push to the side of the bowl. Repeat until all of the dough is moistened. Form the dough into two balls. Place each ball on a piece of plastic wrap and flatten each into a disk. Wrap the plastic wrap around each disk. Place into the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to a day in advance. On a lightly floured surface, flatten the dough with your hands. If the dough seems to hard you may need to let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. Roll dough with a rolling pin from center to edge. Forming a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Ease pastry into a 9-inch pie plate being careful not to stretch pastry. Place filling into the bottom shell. Add the top crust trim and flute.