Apple Pie

 I love apple pie.  It's just one of our favorite apple treats. When I got several bushels from the local farm market earlier this week, I wasted no time.







If you are new to pie making, go here to get some tips on getting started. Making pie dough is not as scary as you may think.    


I like to get everything ready ahead of time...

Combine all ingredients for pie in a bowl and set aside. 

(scroll down to see the recipe below) 

Roll out pie crust and refrigerate. If you need a pie crust recipe, click here to find the recipe that suits your needs.

OPTIONAL -Mix together 1 egg with some milk and refrigerate.  This is the glaze for the pie that turns your pie into a work of art.  

When all the prep work is completed, 

get those apples peeled!  If you are making several pies and can't find a volunteer to help with the peeling....One of these apple peeler/corer does a fine job.  I have found that these work best for

 fresh apples. 

Now its time to put your pies together...

I start by sprinkling a fair amount of flour in the bottom of each pie.  This helps in thickening the juice in your pie.  

 Pile up the apples as high as you can and sprinkle the sugar mixture on top.  

Top with the second crust.  Crimp the edges and cut some slits on the top for the steam to escape.

With a fork, blend egg and milk together and paint the mixture onto your top crust with a 

Pastry Brush.  

I like to sprinkle coarse sanding sugar lightly across the top. 

(Sanding sugar can be purchased where you buy decorative sugars for cookies)

Bake..start at 425 for about 10 minutes and reduce for about 30 more minutes (maybe longer) until golden brown.

Allow your pie to cool before cutting.  You need to give your pie time to set.  

Homemade Apple Pie

Apples

1 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

½ tsp nutmeg

1 tsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp butter

Peel, core (quarter) and slice apples.  Mound apples as high as possible in pan.  Mix remaining ing. And sprinkle  evenly over apples.   Makes 1 large deep dish pie or 2 smaller pies.   (sprinkle an ample amount of flour on the bottom crust as a thickener before placing apples in pan)

Bake at 425 for 10 or 15 minutes, lower to 375 for 30 more minutes or until golden brown.

 (larger pies may take longer)

YUMMM!

PEACH PIE AND CRISP

It's Peach season! Though I like peaches, peaches aren't my favorite. (that would be apples:)... But to keep the rest of my clan happy, we got several bushels of peaches to put away so we can enjoy the taste of summer this winter.

WE FROZE ABOUT 2 BUSHEL~

AND BY "WE", I MEAN ME AND HUBS- HE'S MY "PEACH."

HUBS WAS A HUGE HELP!

WITH ONE BUSHEL, WE MADE 3 PIES. ONE TO EAT AND 2 FOR THE FREEZER~

AND 2 CRISPS. ONE TO EAT, ONE FOR THE FREEZER~

PEACH PIE

7-8 cups sliced peaches

½ c or more clear gel

1 ½ c or more sugar

Lemon juice

Touch of cinnamon (or more if you like cinnamon;)

Mix the above ingredients together until all sugar and Jel disappears. Place into one large pie pan or 2 small pans. Bake at 375 for 15 min then reduce to 350 for 40-45 min or until nicely brown and bubbly.

For more tips on making pie-click here

PEACH CRISP

Mix together and place in a 9 inch pan:

4 cups of sliced peaches

A sprinkling of sugar to taste (depends on how sweet you're peaches are and how sweet or tart you want them to be)

A sprinkling of clear jel (Maybe a tbl or so)

Crumb together:

3/4 c brown sugar

1/2 c flour

1/2 c rolled oats

3/4 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp nutmeg

1/3 c soft butter

Sprinkle crumb topping across top and bake at 375 for about 30 min.

Serve warm (with ice-cream:) or enjoy cold. This recipe can be doubled and baked in an 8 x 13 pan.

PIE CRUST 101- for the beginner

I LOVE PIE!! Homemade Pie is probably my favorite of all desserts. And I'm one of those strange people who actually enjoy baking pie. For me, it's an art form. I know that for many people, making pie crust is a struggle. I admit it was for me too in the early days of marriage. But after 30 years, I have conquered the fear of pie crust- and I'm convinced you can too!!

Though there are many great recipes out there for pie crust, I usually just stick to the old tried and true Crisco version. For exact measurements for the size pie you are making, go to Crisco's website. (while you're there check out all the yummy recipes)

Begin with flour, salt and chilled crisco.

Cut in Crisco with a pastry blender (a must have for pie)....

....until it is totally incorporated into the flour. Do not overmix. This is the secret to making crust- quickly and completely incorporating the flour, salt and shortening before adding the water.

Now add the water slowly as you fork the dough around the bowl mixing as you go. Dough should not be too wet or too dry....but as Goldilocks would say...JUST RIGHT!

Remember that practice makes perfect!

Form dough into a ball (cut in half if your making a top crust). Remember not to over-handle the dough, just enough to meld the ingredients together. It helps if you flour your hands as well before handling the dough. Sprinkle some flour on your work surface. (A pastry cloth comes in handy for this) Roll the dough to the diameter necessary (large enough to account for the depth of your pan).

Roll the dough over the rolling pin and place in the pan.




Prick your dough with a fork and you're ready to either bake or fill.

Congratulations! You are on your way to creating many pies that will delight the ones you love!!

Lattice Pie Crust

Making a lattice top for a pie can often be intimidating. But once you learn a few "tricks of the trade," its a snap to create a yummy pie that not only tastes great, but looks incredible!

Begin by rolling out your dough onto a floured surface. Cut dough into strips. I use a pizza cutter.

Begin by placing strips across pie with a center cross.

Add strips working to the outside, alternating vertical and horizontal strips.

Strips are easily placed by pulling back every other strip to complete the woven look.

Remove all the excess dough and flute the edges. Brush pie with egg or cream, or a combo of both. Dust with sanding sugar. Sanding sugar is a coarse white sugar that gives your pie a nice shimmer.

The result is a beautiful pie that no one will be able to resist!!

PUT THE COFFEE ON AND

FRUIT PIES,CLEAR JEL, AND FREEZING PIES

My family loves fruit pies! So needless to say, summertime is a time of lots of pie baking. I often make a pie to eat and a pie to freeze. Fruit pies freeze very easily.*

With the exception of apple pie, I usually use Clear Jel or Therm flo as my pie thickener. (To learn more about Clear Jel, click here), for Therm Flo, click here.

note: If I am planning to freeze fruit pies, I use Therm Flo. I purchase both Clear Jel and Therm Flo at my local Amish store.

I follow a basic recipe for pie, but alter as needed depending on the fruit, its sweetness, the size pie pan I'm using, and my estimation of how juicy I think it will be. For example, cherry pie tends to be juicier than blueberry. Therefore, I'll add a slightly lesser amount of Clear Jel to a blueberry pie.

To make an average size fruit pie, begin with a basic unbaked pie crust.

Mix filling in a bowl:

1 qt of fruit

3/4 c -1 cup of sugar

1/4 c -1/3 c Clear Jel or Therm Flo

enough water to moisten sugar and Clear Jel or Therm Flo and make slightly soupy

Add filling to pie crust and add a top crust. (For tips on a lattice top, click here) I usually brush on cream, egg, or a mixture of both and sprinkle some clear sanding sugar (the kind of sugar used for cookies) across the top. This makes a for a beautiful pie that shimmers. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes, then reduce to 35o for about 45 minutes or longer (Larger pies may require more time). Be certain that your pie filling has come to a bubble. This (bubbling) is what makes the pie gel or set. Cool before cutting. Enjoy!

Raspberry pie

Lattice-Topped Cherry Pie

Blueberry Pie

*FREEZING PIES

Tuck away a fruit pie by freezing for later! For best results, the pie should be baked first. Then put it, uncovered, in the freezer. When it's completely frozen, wrap the pie tightly or put it in a plastic freezer bag and pop it back in the freezer. Frozen baked fruit pies will keep up to 4 months.

To serve a frozen 2-crust pie, unwrap it and thaw at room temperature for 1 hour. Then heat the pie in the oven at 375°F on the lowest rack for 35 to 40 minutes or until warm.

Cooking Tips for Clear Jel

1 Tbsp of cornstarch=1-1/2 Tbsp of Clear Jel

2 Tbsp flour or tapioca=1 Tbsp Clear Jel

Per 4 cups of fruit, use 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons of Clear Jel