Baking the perfect apple pie.
I went to my friend Lori Parker's end of summer party. For, my contribution I baked what I know best- a pie. Who doesn't love pie? It's not as complicated as it seems to make one, just time consuming. I use my time baking as a way to relax. Try it you might enjoy doing this as much as I do! Anyway. I will write this recipe as if I was talking you through your first pie, start to finish. All advice given: hard won through the years.
What you need:
5-6 large apples or 7-8 small apples. I prefer softer apples vs. hard apples. I think they melt better in your mouth when you bite into the finished product.
2 tsp lemon juice.
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white granulated sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp all spice
1/8 tsp ground cloves
4 tbsp corn starch
2 tsp butter
2/3 cup Crisco or lard
Water
2+ cups flour
salt
3-4 tbsp extra large granulated sugar
Tools needed. 2 large bowls, 1 long-tonged fork, baking sheet, 10” pie plate, rolling pin,silver foil, plastic dough rolling sheet or wax paper,
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Wash apples, while drying fill a large bowl halfway with water add the lemon juice. It can be fresh or bottled. Does not matter since the citrus is in the water to keep the apples from turning color. On a cutting mat, quarter the apples, peel and core. Put the quarters in the water-bowl making sure to dunk each piece as it goes in, to get the citric acid on it so it does not turn brown. Do not slice apples just yet. When apples are peeled and cored, it's time to make the dough.
Dough:
Take a 1 cup (narrow) glass measuring cup, fill with cold water to 1/3 full. Spoon in Crisco keeping it below water until the water line reaches one cup. Put in refrigerator.
Place 2 level cups of white flour in a large bowl, add 2, pinches (Really just pinch the salt and take from it what ends up pinched between your fingers!) salt. Blend into the flour. Remove the Crisco from the water with a long-tonged fork, place in the middle of the flour. Put water back into the fridge. With the fork, work the Crisco into the flour until well blended, resembling crumbs and pea sized pieces. At this point get the water from the fridge and pour into flour/Crisco mix. GENTLY toss and mix together until the dough holds loosely together in larger pieces. Stop working with the fork. Flour your hands (clean of course) and gather the large pieces (about 1/2”-1” in size) into a ball with your hands, GENTLY pressing the ball together until it holds. Place in fridge for a few minutes while you prepare your pie plate.
You will need a 10” pie plate. (Tip: if you are baking for a gathering of friends away from home, use the disposable aluminum ones. It is so, so easy to lose your glass pie plates since they never come back, should you leave your left-over pie with your host for their happy consumption after party.) Place the tin on a flat baking sheet. Get out your plastic dough rolling sheet or wax paper. Wet the surface you plan to roll the dough out on. By wetting the surface, the plastic sheet stays in place and does not try to move with the roller. Place the plastic dough rolling sheet or wax paper on this surface. If using wax, you will need two 1½ ' pieces, let them over lap by 1 inch. The wax sheets should be placed parallel to you. Dust plastic dough rolling sheet or wax paper well with flour.
Cut the dough in half. With hands gently shape into discs. The slightly larger one first (I weigh my discs to make sure they are close in weight.) is flattened on rolling surface, pick dough up off the surface, re-dust surface with flour, flip the disc over putting unfloured side down on surface. Gently flatten with hands in round shape. Take rolling pin and begin to roll out. Your choice of rolling pin ideally will be wide in length and width. There should be some weight to the pin. (Technique tip: use large, long strokes with the rolling pin from the center point of the dough disc. Short and many strokes work the dough more, making it harder) As the dough rolls out, it may break apart. Don't worry. I have a patching technique for you. Once the disc is rolled out enough to fit in pie pan, starting at one end of the dough begin to wrap it around the rolling pin for easy placement in the pan. Line up the dough to pn and begin to unroll the rolling pin. The dough should ease right into place. You might have to gently move it, but that's OK! Now trim the dough to the edge of the pan. Keep trimmings.
Now if the dough cracks or needs additional edging, take a shot glass full of milk (or similar substance) and using a pastry brush dipped into the milk, paint the edges that need additional dough. Take dough trimmings and place where filler dough is needed. Press onto the painted dough until they “glue” together. You will have a perfect shell to fill! place the pie plate with crust into the freezer while you prepare the rest of the goodies that will be placed on top of the bottom half of the crust.
More tomorrow on finishing this fabulous pie! Learn how to prepare filling, and top off the crust!
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