Fall is always a bittersweet time of the year. For many, its sad to see the summer come and go, and welcoming in the cold weather is definitely difficult. But with autumn comes cooler weather, festivals, football season and some killer apple pies. So in case saying goodbye to summer has left a bad taste in your mouth, perhaps this recipe for apple pie will taste a bit better.
Preheat the oven: 400 degrees.
The crust recipe is quick and simple:
3/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup boiling water
2 cups all purpose flour
Dash of salt
Melt the shortening into the water with a fork. This may seem difficult at first, but as the hot water softens the shortening, it will become much easier. Next, add the flour and salt, mixing with a fork just until the crust starts to come together in bigger pieces. Divide it out into two halves, placing each half between waxed paper (this is a must), and roll it out. To make it easier to get into the pie plate, make sure the waxed paper comes off the crust easily on both sides. Roll out the two crusts until they’re even and big enough to fit into the pie pan, then set them aside.
The Filling:
Peel the apples, remove the core and cut into 1/4″ uniform slices. Try using a variety of apples to enhance the flavor of the pie. We recommend trying to use 3 types of apples per pie. After the apples are sliced, add 3/4 cup of sugar. Put in a couple heaping tablespoons of all purpose flour and some cinnamon. With a wooden spoon, gently turn the apples so as not to break up the slices too much. The idea is to coat the apple slices with the cinnamon and sugar somewhat evenly.
Directions:
Put the first crust into the pie pan, hopefully with some overhanging around the sides of the pan. Then, put as much apple filling in as you can fit, rearranging slices as needed to really stuff it full.
Once the filling is in, put about 4 pats of butter placed around the top of the filling, then try to carefully put the second crust over the whole thing. Trim along the edge of the pan to get rid of any excess crust, then press the two crusts together. You may also use two knuckles on each hand to put a somewhat decorative wavy edge on the crust. Also, brush the top crust with milk or half and half, then sprinkle demarara sugar on top. This is decorative but also adds a good texture to the crust.
Bake the pie until it's done rather than set a timer. When the crust is nicely browned and the filling is bubbling up a bit, it’s done. This will usually take around 45 minutes.
And thats it! Some people may prefer a fancier crust, but this is a good crust that’s really quick and easy to make. Having a great apple pie at this time of the year just helps make the season. The only question that remains to be answered is, what kind of ice cream are you going to top it with?
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