Few things bring back happy childhood memories like good ol’ fashion apple pie.
For me, the first memory that comes to mind is coming home sopping wet, smelling like snow machine exhaust after a day out on the trails with my family… and walking through the door to the smell of freshly baked apple pie!
After dishing up, we would sit down to play a board game as a family, more often than not it was Solar Quest – a space version of Monopoly (I always tried getting the monopoly on Jupiter’s moons).
I used to help my mom make this homemade recipe as a kid and it is still a favourite treat.
Last summer our apple tree produced enough apples to use home grown apples for the first time! I was elated!
If I use store bought apples, I go with Granny Smith because their tartness adds so much flavour and their crispness is good for baking.
Peel and core the apples, then cut into dice sized cubes.
Add the sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and apples to a large bowl and combine.
It will be fairly dry at first, but after it sits for a few minutes the sugars draw some moisture out of the apples, making a nice sticky texture.
Next, make the pie crust.
Cut the flour and crisco together using a pastry blender.
In a separate bowl, mix the egg, vinegar, and water together well.
Once well mixed, add to the flour and crisco. Do not over-work the dough.
Divide dough into 4 equal sizes and roll out into rounds on a floured surface.
Place one crust into the bottom of each pie pan, making sure the edges are long enough to come just over the lip of the pie pan about 1/2 an inch.
Add the apple filling, 3 Tablespoons of milk, and 2 Tablespoons of butter to each pie pan.
Moisten the edge of the crust. This will help it bond to the top crust.
Next, place to top crust over the pie and roll the edge to seal. You can get creative with fancy crust edge designs if you want!
Add a few slits in the top crust to vent and prevent the filling from bubbling out the sides. May as well it make a pretty design while you’re at it!
Dust the top with cinnamon sugar for the finishing touch.
Place into pre-heated oven at 400° for 40-50 minutes or until golden brown.
Let cool for a few minutes.
Serve with ice cream and enjoy!
Recipe
Pie filling
8 large apples
2 cups white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter, reserved
3 tablespoons milk, reserved
Crust
1 1/4 cup crisco
3 cups white flour
1 egg
1 tablespoon white vinegar
5 tablespoons cold water
Bake at 400° for 40-50 minutes or until golden brown.
Have you made apple pie from scratch before? I would love to hear about your experience in the comments below!
Old House on the Prairie 