Old-fashioned Apple Pie

Apple pie, who doesn’t love apple pie. It is perfect for Christmas or New Years and is actually quite simple to make. Now, I made this pie for New Year’s Eve last year and it was the best apple pie that I have ever had in my entire life. I can’t take credit for this recipe; I’m not creative enough to make pie recipes. I hope that if you have time you use this recipe to make an amazing pie. If you do let me know what you thought of it. So, on with the recipe from Momswhothink.com.

What You’ll Need…

Crust:

2 1/2 Cups All-purpose Flour

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1 Cup Butter [Two sticks] (Chilled and diced.)

1/2 Cup Ice Water

Pie Filling:

8 Cups Apples (Sliced and peeled.) [About 3lbs, Granny Smith apples work best.]

2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

3/4 Cup White Sugar

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar

1/4 Cup All-purpose Flour

1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 Egg Yolk

1 Tablespoon Milk

Before you can make the filling you need a crust. You can always use store bought crust, but I don’t think that it would taste the same. If you choose to use store bought crust though, you do take a lot of time out of the process. However, for homemade crust, which I recommend, start out by combining 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour and a ½ teaspoon of salt in a medium mixing bowl.

Once the flour and salt are combined “cut” in the cold butter. I find that it is easiest to cut the sticks of butter at each tablespoon mark and then long ways. Add the butter and to the flour mixture and combine until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. You can do this with your hands or a pastry cutter. Don’t over mix of the butter will soften. Once the butter is combined add the ice water a table spoon at a time and mix until the dough forms a ball.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least four hours, overnight seems to be better however. 

When you are ready to make the pie flour the counter, rolling pin, and dough before rolling the dough and then dividing in two. Roll the dough again to be a bit bigger than the pie pan.  Place one in the bottom of the pan and gently push the dough into the pan and onto the sides.

Now, onto the filling, first pre-heat your oven to 425. Once you have peeled and sliced about 3lbs place them in a large bowl and toss them with the lemon juice. 

In a spate bowl combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg, once combined toss the dry ingredients with the apples, coating the apples well.

Carefully pour the apple mixture into the pastry lined 9 inch pie pan. Place small pieces of butter over the top of the filling. 

 
Once you have done this place the second pie crust on top, sealing the edges. You can use a fork for this, but you can just as easily use your hands. Carefully cut a few slits in the top crust so that the stem can escape during the baking process. 

In a small bowl beat an egg yolk with a tablespoon of milk and brush the mixture over the top crust. This helps the crust to brown. Now it’s time to bake! Place the pie pan on top of a baking sheet so that if and when the filling bubbles over it lands on the sheet and not the bottom of your oven. Bake the pie at 425 for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes lower the temperature to 350 and let the pie continue to bake to 40-45 minutes. The crust should be golden brown when it is done.

Store the pie in the refrigerator. Enjoy this delicious dessert by itself, with whipped cream, with ice cream, or for those of you who aren’t counting calories top the pie with vanilla ice cream and caramel topping.