The Best Apple Pie

Okay, I've got some serious catching up to do before Christmas hits in about a week!

Here are some pictures from a fun trip we took to a local apple orchard this fall ... Cider Hill Orchard. This place was about 15 minutes from our house, and I never even knew it existed. It was so cool. The owners took us on a little tractor ride out to the orchards where the trees were ready for picking. They gave us a couple of apple pickers and set us loose to grab as many as we wanted. We ended up with a peck of Golden Delicious apples, which only cost us about $6. These things were so crispy, tangy and amazing ... it wasn't until we got home that I wished we would have picked a lot more. 

 Ella and her dada checking out the koi pond

 love this picture

  

A few days later, I decided to try my hand at a homemade apple pie (which I had never done before). I don't know if it was the delicious apples, or my superb baking abilities (haha), but Eli told me it was the best apple pie that he has ever had.

This picture doesn't even do it justice ...

Since it's the season of giving, I'll go ahead and share my recipe with you. I think the secret is the carmel sauce.

The Best All American Apple Pie

From The Pie and Pastry Bible

2 1/2 lbs baking apples (about 6 medium), peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick - tangy is better; should have 8 cups of sliced apples

1 Tblsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

2 Tblsp unsalted butter

1 Tblsp + 1 tsp cornstarch

In large bowl, combine apples, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and toss to coat. Allow the apples to macerate at room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes and a maximum of 3 hours. Transfer the apples and their juices to a colander suspended over a bowl and capture the liquid. The mixture will release at least 1/2 cup of liquid. In a small (preferably nonstick) saucepan over med-high heat, boil down this liquid with the butter to about 1/3 cup, or until syrupy and lightly carmelized. Swirl the liquid but do not stir it. While this is cooking, transfer apples to a bowl and toss them with the cornstarch until all traces of cornstarch have disappeared. When carmel syrup is done, pour over apples, tossing gently. Pour into crust.

The Ultimate Pie Pastry 

from my HyVee seasons magazine

4 Tblsp vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (I rolled it in plastic wrap and froze it a little first)

2 cups flour

4 tsp granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

8 Tblsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

3-4 Tblsp cold water

In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Scatter shortening over flour mixture and pulse about 10 times. You can also do this with a pastry cutter in a bowl - mixture should resemble cornmeal in texture. Scatter butter over mixture and cut in or pulse 10 more times to make course, pea size pieces of butter. Add ice water 1 Tblsp at a time until 3 Tblsp are added, and 1 tsp at a time after that, tossing with a fork or pulsing 3 times after each addition. When dough starts to hold together when pinched, stop mixing. Gather dough into a ball. Fold ball of dough over itself 3 times to blend ingredients. Divide in half and shape into two 4 inch disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes or up to 2 days.

Dust countertop and rolling pin with flour. Roll out each disk from center to edges into a 12 inch round. Using spatula to release pastry from surface, rotate and reflour surface to prevent sticking. Transfer to pie plate. East into plate without stretching and trim any over-hang. Fill with desired filling (see deliciousness above). Place top crust over filling. Fold top pastry under bottom pastry and pinch to seal. Crimp edges with fingers or a fork. Cut slits in top and if desired, brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar (I used vanilla sugar). Lightly cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees at least 20 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack at the lowest level and place a baking sheet (covered with foil) on it before preheating. Set pie directly on baking sheet and bake 45-55 minutes or until the juices bubble through the slashes and the apples feel tender but not mushy when poked. After 30 minutes, protect the edges from over-browning with a foil ring. Allow pie to cool for a couple of hours before cutting (which is SO hard to do).

I made one of these to share with my parents one night when they came over for dinner. About a week later, I made another one and Eli and I polished off the entire thing in a few days. Just you wait ..