Baked: Classic Apple Pie

Yes, I was excited about the 3 lb of Golden Delicious apples that I picked up in Kensington Market. But I was even more excited about the opportunity to use this contraption:

Medieval torture device? Nay. Modern-day deliciousness device!

It was a wedding gift from another engineer/scientist couple who decided that it would be perfect for both the food-lovers and engineers that we are. It was.

Step 1: Load up the apple

Step 2: Crank that handle

Turn, turn, turn

Step 3: Pop off the neatly peeled and cored apple

But wait! It's also sliced into a neat spiral!

All I had to do was make a single cut down the middle to get a perfectly sliced apple. Awesome.

Anyway, I unfortunately made the rookie mistake of forgetting to put a cookie sheet under the pie pan. So the pie leaked and now there's a sticky sweet mess on the bottom of my oven waiting to be cleaned. Sigh.

But it was worth it!

With pretty fluted edges

I was too impatient to wait for it to cool so I sliced into it a little early. That's probably why it's soupy - Whoops. 

I can't figure out how not to achieve that cave-like effect. I know that the apples shrink during baking, but how do I avoid the top puffing up OR make the pastry sink down with the apples? (I don't actually know what happens to cause this.)

But how could you resist that flaky crust??

Nonetheless, my craving for apple pie is well satisfied. The Golden Delicious apples were absolutely perfect for pie - just the right blend of tart and sweet, and they held their shape nicely. And the crust was nice and flaky. Mmm.

 

Old-Fashioned Apple Pie

From Better Homes and Gardens

Prep: 30 minutes Bake: 45 minutes Cool: 2 hours

Pastry for Double-Crust Pie: Stir together 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in 2/3 cup shortening (I used 1/3 cup shortening and 1/3 cup butter) until pieces are pea size. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cold water over part of the mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to the side of the bowl. Repeat, using 1 tablespoon cold water at a time, until all the dough is moistened (6 to 8 tablespoons water total). 

Ingredients

• 6  cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples
• 1  tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2  cup granulated sugar
• 1/4  cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4  cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2  teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4  teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Dash  ground cloves
• 1 recipe Pastry for Double-Crust Pie (see above)
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
• Milk (optional)

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl toss apples with lemon juice. Combine granulated sugar, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Add to apples and toss until apples are coated. Set apple mixture aside.

2. Prepare Pastry for Double-Crust Pie. Divide dough in half. Form each half into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 ball of dough into a 12-inch circle. Ease pastry into a 9-inch pie plate.

3. Transfer apple mixture to pastry-lined pie plate. Dot with butter or margarine. Trim pastry even with pie plate. For top crust, roll out remaining dough. Cut slits in top crust. Place top crust on the filling. Seal and flute the edge. Brush with milk, if desired.

4. To prevent overbrowning, cover the edge of the pie with foil. Place pie dish on a cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil; bake for 20 to 25 minutes more or until the top is golden brown and apples are tender. Serve warm with cheddar cheese, if desired. Makes 6 to 8 servings.