One of the best things about autumn is apples. And what good are apples if not for pie?
I was in second grade when my mom made her first apple pie. My father had always said he didn’t like them, so mom didn’t bother making them. I think she was afraid she’d have to eat a whole pie herself; there are a lot worse things! I distinctly remember that first pie. There was a lot of discussion that Saturday afternoon. I think Mom finally decided her desire for a pie outweighed the potential pounds she might put on. After a few hours, the house smelled amazing. Pretty soon, she announced the pie was done. Dad decided he needed to try it and the rest is history. She has been churning out dozens of apple pies every year ever since.
Mom’s pies are always two crusted. She never varies. When I married The Good Guy, I started playing around with a crumb topping. Within a year of married life, I was only making them that way…never varying. When we moved in with my parents, in 2009, there was a little test of wills. She continued to make her two crusted pies, but I sneaked in a few crumb topped versions. Now, my kids refer to two crust apple pies as “grandma’s pies.”
1. Info for Apple Pie
- Cook Time: unavailable
- Total Time: unavailable
- Servings: unavailable
- Calories: unavailable
2. Ingredients for Apple Pie
- 7-8 medium apples (I like Jonathan, Rome, Gala, and any other semi-tart variety I find)
- ⅓ cup flour
- pinch salt
- dash lemon juice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 unbaked pie shell (homemade is, of course, best) (or enough for a 2 crust pie)
- Topping: (optional, if you go the one crust route)
- ⅔ cup flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
3. Directions:
- Peel and slice apples into medium bowl.
- Add flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and lemon juice.
- I always make my filling in a Tupperware bowl with a lid.
- Instead of stirring, I put on the lid and then shake the bowl.
- Roll out pie crust and put it in pie plate.
- Fill with apple filling.
- Optional topping directions: In smaller bowl, combine topping ingredients.
- Using a pastry blender, mix until it resembles coarse sand.
- Pour on top of pie.
- OR Roll out top crust, place on top of filling, seal.
- I usually put a small pizza pan under the pie plate to catch the juice that invariably will run over the sides of the pie plate.
- Bake 325 degrees 1 hour 20 minutes or until juice is bubbling and thick.
- Let cool before cutting or you will have a juicy pie.
