A couple of my girls helped me bake an apple pie...
and it came out quite nice!
I haven't baked anything from scratch in a while. Usually, one of my teen-aged sons makes brownies or my husband will make a banana or pumpkin bread.
The girls used these cute cookie stamps from William- Sonoma to give the pie a fancy fall top crust.
I have been following some great blogs lately and have been inspired by the wonderful baked goods some of the women have created for their families.
The pie came out nicely decorated with a: leaf, an acorn, a turkey and a pumpkin.
Ingredients & directions for the double pie crust:
2 1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp sea salt or regular salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 sticks unsalted butter
1/3 c cold water
Mix flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl with a wisk for about 2 min. blend well. Next, cut up the 2 sticks of butter into small cubes, add cubes to mix and blend with a pastry blender until you see pea sized chunks. Takes about 5 minutes by hand. Add water and continue to blend with pastry blender, dough will start to form, do not blend for more then acouple of minutes, form into a ball with your hands, put in a ziplock or cover with plastic wrap. Place in fridge and let chill while cutting up apples.
Pie filling ingredients & directions:
5 to 7 large apples of choice medium pie, 10 for a fat pie
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp lemon juice( I substituted it with apple juice, orange can be used too)
2 tblsp corn starch
3 tblsp unsalted butter
1/2 c sugar
Peel and slice up your favorite apples, We used MacIntosh about 5 to 7 large apples. Use 2 or 3 more if you like a fat pie.( we use a special apple coring and slicing tool) but you can peel and cut with a knife as well.
Slices should be about the same size (so they will bake evenly)
In 3 seperate small bowls:
Mix sugar, cinnamon, and cloves in a small bowl, set aside.
Mix juice and cornstarch in a small bowl, set aside.
Egg wash, whisk 1 egg with 2 tblsp water in a small bowl, set aside
Put 3 tblsp of butter in a heavy-bottomed frying pan or saute pan, let it melt on low to med heat. Add slices of apples and then add sugar mixture. on low to med. heat stir constantly until apples are slightly softened. Do not cook more then about 2 to 3 min at the most.Turn off heat and add in cornstarch mixture and stir. Remove from heat.
Take out cold dough from fridge and divide it in half. Use flour to coat your rolling surface and your rolling pin, also put a very small amount on your dough. Begin to roll out and take your time working the dough from center to the outside. It will take about four to five rolls in each direction. If you find the dough getting sticky add a tiny fit more flour to the surface.
Once your botom is rolled out, place in a pie pan and crimp the edges with your fingers, does not have to be fancy.
Next, poor in somewhat cooled apple filling.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Roll out top crust and place over top of your pie crimping top and bottom together. Cut slits around pie clockwise to vent.Take about 2 tablespoons of softened butter and rub it over uncooked top and edges. Take a bbq brush and gently brush egg wash over the butter mixture, top and sides of uncooked crust. Sprinkle entire top with small amout of sugar.
Cut extra dough with cookie cutter or cookie stamps use soft butter and egg wash and sugar same as for the pie top and then add to top. Place pie on a cookie sheet for spillage and cook for 20 min. turn 180 degrees and cook for another 20 min. Pie top should be golden brown in patches and firm. Take out to cool. Serve warm apple pie in about 20 min after baking!
Yummmm!
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