Apple Pie

I love pie, I really don't think that any other dessert is filled with as much love as pie. Sadly my oldest doesn't like it.
When I was growing up the only pie I liked was pumpkin pie. I hated the crust on all other pies and thought all fillings had awful texture. As I got older I realized the problem was that my only real pie experience was store bought everything. Store made pie is filled with all kinds of crap, and don't get me started on canned filling.
GROSS!! 


I was always daunted by pie crust. Watching the Food Network it always seemed like an impossible task best left to someone who did it for a living. I didn't even attempt it until I was 25 and the first one wasn't that great. I didn't give up though and the second time was better, now I can proudly say I make some pretty awesome pie crust. I have tried many pie crust recipes some with vinegar, some that used half shortening, some that used eggs. This one works best for me, I don't like the texture that an egg gives a pie crust and I've never needed vinegar for flakiness.

Now that I pretty much have it as mastered as it can be, I have decided that there is no dessert as filled with love as a home made pie. It takes time and patience and is oh so good. 
Fill this beauty with apples, bourbon soaked peaches, blueberries, whatever. Or leave the sugar out and make chicken pot pie.......mmmmmm.

My only tips are as follows:
1. Make sure everything is very cold. Butter, flour, liquid, sometimes I even put my bowl and pastry cutter in the fridge for a bit.
2. Make sure your butter is a reasonable size for mixing into your flour. If it's too big, it won't be cold anymore by the time you get it broken down small enough. I usually grate my butter.
3. Be gentle! Handle it too much and you work up any gluten in your flour. Gluten is great for bread not for pie.
4. Be patient. It might be because I'm chaing my girls around half the day, but it takes me a while to get my dough done. Like a couple of hours.

Anyways onto the recipe. It's pretty basic and I think if you look up any pie crust without an egg, this is what you will find. For the liquide, use whatever you want, water, milk, butter milk, juice, etc. I apologise for the stainless steel bowl, this was the third crust I remembered pictures at the last minute and it was the only clean bowl.

Sweet Pie Crust
makes one 9 or 10 inch double pie crust

8oz (about 2 sticks or 1 cup) very cold unsalted butter
1/2 cup liquid of choice
12oz (about 2 1/2 cups) flour ( I used about 8 oz pastry and 4 oz AP)
1-2 Tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt
(some people use 1-2 tsp of vinegar to assist with flakiness, to be honest I've never needed it, but feel free to use it)

1) Grate the butter, or cut it up into very small cubes into a big bowl, the smaller the quicker it will combine with the flour, the big grate on the ol' box grater is perfect. Pop the butter in the fridge. Measure out your liquid and pop that in as well, 15-30 minutes should be good.

2) Sift the flour, sugar and salt together in another bowl and pop that in too. There is a theme, cold equals flakiness, not that bad kind.

See the little butter pieces?

3) Get your big bowl of butter out of the fridge, dump the flour mixture on top and using a pastry cutter, two forks, two knives, a food processor (pulse it please) or even two cold hands and break that butter into smaller crumbly pieces. At this point I often get distracted by my children the phone, you know, life in general. If you need to stop guess where you put that big bowl? That's right, back in the fridge. If you used your hands it might be a good idea to put it in the fridge anyways, they will have warmed up the butter a bit too much.

You can still see the butter, this is good

4) Make a well in the flour/butter mixture, pour in your liquid of choice and GENTLY mix in with a fork. It will be shaggy.

5) Generously flour your counter and dump your dough out and press it together, if it isn't sticking together at all GENTLY kneed it into a smooth ball, 4 times should do it. If it doesn't you need a teeny bit more liquid. You should still see the butter throughout the dough.

6) Cut the dough in half, flatten each half into a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap and, yes, put it in the fridge until you're ready to use it. You might need to let it sit on the counter for 10-15 minutes before you roll it out. If you're read to use it right away roll away.


This is the apple filling I put in it . Sometimes I use a double crust sometimes I put a crumble topping on.

Apple Pie Filling
6 apples (I usually use a mixture of Granny smith and Gala or Fuji)
1tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
a sprinkle of cloves
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup corn starch
some butter

1) Preheat your oven to 375. Peel, core and wedge your apples, 12 slices per apple is usually a good thickness. In a small bowl mix up the dry ingredients.
2) Mix the dry ingredients into the apples.Pour the whole kit 'n' kaboodle into your bottom crust, which should be in a pie pan, if you're feeling a bit crazy, try free form.
3) Put a few dobs of butter over the filing, pop on your top crust or crumble topping, make a pretty edge with your crusts. Cut some vents in the top crust. ( I bake the crust cut offs, brush it with melted butter and sprinkle on some cinnamon sugar, oh yes)
4) Put your pie pan on a cookie sheet to catch drips and put that lovliness in the oven for 40-50 minutes. Pull it out and let it cool for.