One of the first recipes I ever taught kids how to make is my Grandma Julie's apple pie. This is a recipe passed down to me from my dad from his grandmother. When he was a teenager, she taught him how to make her signature apple pie. He taught myself and my sister when we were kids. This is one of my favorite recipes of all time. Mark loves the apple-y filling, and Ben is a big fan of the crust.
Grandma Julie’s Apple Pie
Original recipe courtesy of my Dad, Dav
Crust
2 cups unbleached, all-purpose white flour
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 cup chilled Crisco vegetable shortening (store in the refrigerator)
½ cup ice water
Filling
At least 12 large apples for a 9-inch pie plate, 18 for a 12-inch pie plate. recommendations: Granny Smith, Macintosh, McCowan, Ginger Gold, or a combination of them
1/3 to ¾ of a cup of sugar depending on the size of the pie plate, the sweetness of the apples, and personal taste - I do this step completely by taste
2 to 3 teaspoons of cinnamon to taste
Combine flour and sugar. Cut Crisco into cubes with a butter knife. Use a pastry cutter to combine the Crisco with the flour. If you don't have a pastry cutter, use your fingertips to rub the Crisco into the flour. Do NOT knead the dough. When you have achieved a crumbly texture, add the ice water and continue to work with the pastry cutter until the dough starts to form a ball. Make one large ball, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. The dough is more than enough for a 9-inch pie plate, and if rolled very thin, can even be used with a 12-inch pie plate.
While dough is resting, peel, core, and slice the apples. Make the slices very thin, and cut them in half if the apples are especially large.
In a giant bowl, thoroughly mix the apples, sugar, and cinnamon. The apples should be generously covered with sugar and cinnamon. Use your hands or a large spoon in each hand to achieve a homogenous mixture.
Cut dough into two equal sections. Sprinkle flour on the counter, rolling pin, and dough, and roll out the bottom crust. Sprinkle additional flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking. Don't be stingy about the flour. Don't let the dough stick to the rolling pin or the counter! Roll until the dough is extremely thin, and then roll it a little more ;-) You want to get it as thin as possible.
Place bottom crust in the pie plate. The easiest way to do this is to carefully roll the crust around the rolling pin, then unroll it into the pie plate. If the crust tears, just patch it with your fingers. Sprinkle the bottom crust with a generous coat of cinnamon and sugar.
Place the apple slices in the pie plate. Distribute the apples evenly, and push down gently. Continue to add apples even though they will be higher than the edge of the pie plate. When the pie bakes, the apples will cook down considerably. The apples should be higher in the middle of the pie than at the edges. Make an apple mountain.
Roll out the top crust, and cover the apples with it. Trim the excess crust with a knife, and pinch the top and bottom crusts together. Cut off any excess crust, and flute the edge with your fingers. Prick the top crust with a fork about every 1-inch. Dab the top crust with Crisco about every 2 inches or so. Sprinkle the top crust with a generous pinch of cinnamon and sugar.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bake at 425 for 40 minutes, then at 375 for 15 minutes.
Tips:
Make sure you use unbleached flour. Bleached flour makes dough get sticky.
Want to make your pie even prettier? You can experiment with a lattice top crust. Or try sprinkling turbinado sugar instead of regular sugar so the sugar really stands out.
Grandma Julie’s Apple Pie
Original recipe courtesy of my Dad, Dav
Crust
2 cups unbleached, all-purpose white flour
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 cup chilled Crisco vegetable shortening (store in the refrigerator)
½ cup ice water
Filling
At least 12 large apples for a 9-inch pie plate, 18 for a 12-inch pie plate. recommendations: Granny Smith, Macintosh, McCowan, Ginger Gold, or a combination of them
1/3 to ¾ of a cup of sugar depending on the size of the pie plate, the sweetness of the apples, and personal taste - I do this step completely by taste
2 to 3 teaspoons of cinnamon to taste
Combine flour and sugar. Cut Crisco into cubes with a butter knife. Use a pastry cutter to combine the Crisco with the flour. If you don't have a pastry cutter, use your fingertips to rub the Crisco into the flour. Do NOT knead the dough. When you have achieved a crumbly texture, add the ice water and continue to work with the pastry cutter until the dough starts to form a ball. Make one large ball, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. The dough is more than enough for a 9-inch pie plate, and if rolled very thin, can even be used with a 12-inch pie plate.
While dough is resting, peel, core, and slice the apples. Make the slices very thin, and cut them in half if the apples are especially large.
In a giant bowl, thoroughly mix the apples, sugar, and cinnamon. The apples should be generously covered with sugar and cinnamon. Use your hands or a large spoon in each hand to achieve a homogenous mixture.
Cut dough into two equal sections. Sprinkle flour on the counter, rolling pin, and dough, and roll out the bottom crust. Sprinkle additional flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking. Don't be stingy about the flour. Don't let the dough stick to the rolling pin or the counter! Roll until the dough is extremely thin, and then roll it a little more ;-) You want to get it as thin as possible.
Place bottom crust in the pie plate. The easiest way to do this is to carefully roll the crust around the rolling pin, then unroll it into the pie plate. If the crust tears, just patch it with your fingers. Sprinkle the bottom crust with a generous coat of cinnamon and sugar.
Place the apple slices in the pie plate. Distribute the apples evenly, and push down gently. Continue to add apples even though they will be higher than the edge of the pie plate. When the pie bakes, the apples will cook down considerably. The apples should be higher in the middle of the pie than at the edges. Make an apple mountain.
Roll out the top crust, and cover the apples with it. Trim the excess crust with a knife, and pinch the top and bottom crusts together. Cut off any excess crust, and flute the edge with your fingers. Prick the top crust with a fork about every 1-inch. Dab the top crust with Crisco about every 2 inches or so. Sprinkle the top crust with a generous pinch of cinnamon and sugar.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bake at 425 for 40 minutes, then at 375 for 15 minutes.
Tips:
Make sure you use unbleached flour. Bleached flour makes dough get sticky.
Want to make your pie even prettier? You can experiment with a lattice top crust. Or try sprinkling turbinado sugar instead of regular sugar so the sugar really stands out.