Fall has always been my favorite time of the year. With all the glorious colors of the turning leaves, crisp air, warm sweaters and baking! Apple pie to be specific. I know, I know…I can make apple pie anytime of the year but you know how big I am on buying local. So when I can pick up apples from our local growers I do. I get some for munching and others for pie.
While my mom was a darn good cook she didn’t do a lot of baking. It just wasn’t really her thing. So most of what I learned about baking I learned on my own. With a good old fashioned Betty Crocker book in hand, I explored, trying this and trying that and failing miserably and trying again.
While I still use the basic apple pie recipe I found in that old book I’ve tweaked the process and added a newly re-discovered secret crust to it. Think of the best piece of pie you’ve ever had…it was probably made by your grandma or some other little old lady who knew how to use the best ingredients. And that best ingredient included lard that she probably rendered herself.
Now mind you, I didn’t develop this crust recipe myself. I’m simply not that creative in the kitchen. About a year ago I picked up a book from the public library called “Lard: Cooking with Your Grandmother’s Secret Ingredient.” What a great book! I’ve gotten several really good recipes out of it but none are better than that pie crust recipe.
Throughout the years I’ve learned a few additional tips that making pie making a little more fun and the results oh so tasty.
So let’s begin shall we?
While my mom was a darn good cook she didn’t do a lot of baking. It just wasn’t really her thing. So most of what I learned about baking I learned on my own. With a good old fashioned Betty Crocker book in hand, I explored, trying this and trying that and failing miserably and trying again.
While I still use the basic apple pie recipe I found in that old book I’ve tweaked the process and added a newly re-discovered secret crust to it. Think of the best piece of pie you’ve ever had…it was probably made by your grandma or some other little old lady who knew how to use the best ingredients. And that best ingredient included lard that she probably rendered herself.
Now mind you, I didn’t develop this crust recipe myself. I’m simply not that creative in the kitchen. About a year ago I picked up a book from the public library called “Lard: Cooking with Your Grandmother’s Secret Ingredient.” What a great book! I’ve gotten several really good recipes out of it but none are better than that pie crust recipe.
Throughout the years I’ve learned a few additional tips that making pie making a little more fun and the results oh so tasty.
So let’s begin shall we?
Tip #1
Use more than one variety of apple. When buying locally ask the grower what type they recommend. They’re the experts, they should know. If you’re buying apples in the off season from the grocery store, there are often little signs near the apples that explain which are best for certain uses.
For this pie, I used Harlson's, Honeycrisp and a variety from the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum called 1914.
6-8 cups of sliced apples
½ to ¾ cup sugar (sweeten to taste)
Use more than one variety of apple. When buying locally ask the grower what type they recommend. They’re the experts, they should know. If you’re buying apples in the off season from the grocery store, there are often little signs near the apples that explain which are best for certain uses.
For this pie, I used Harlson's, Honeycrisp and a variety from the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum called 1914.
6-8 cups of sliced apples
½ to ¾ cup sugar (sweeten to taste)
Sugar covered goodness...
Tip # 2
In a large bowl, mix the apples with the sugar and set it aside for at least one hour. The sugar will help release some of the juice from the apples. And before we add anything else or dump them in the pie, we’re going to drain off those juices. Why? Well have you ever had a mushy, soggy pie? Gross, isn’t it? That’s all that extra juice just lounging around in your pie. Let's go ahead and get rid of that right away. Your apples still retain enough juice even after you drain the excess off.
In a large bowl, mix the apples with the sugar and set it aside for at least one hour. The sugar will help release some of the juice from the apples. And before we add anything else or dump them in the pie, we’re going to drain off those juices. Why? Well have you ever had a mushy, soggy pie? Gross, isn’t it? That’s all that extra juice just lounging around in your pie. Let's go ahead and get rid of that right away. Your apples still retain enough juice even after you drain the excess off.
Pie Filling Ingredients
Mix together and set aside:
¼ cup flour
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
Dash of salt
While the sugar and apples are doing their thing, let's get started on the crust.
Lard Crust
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cups frozen lard
¼ cup frozen butter
1 egg
5 ½ TBSP ice water
1 teaspoon vinegar
In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt.
Using a knife, shave off pieces of lard and butter into a bowl. Shaved pieces will be easier to cut into the flour.
Mix together and set aside:
¼ cup flour
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
Dash of salt
While the sugar and apples are doing their thing, let's get started on the crust.
Lard Crust
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cups frozen lard
¼ cup frozen butter
1 egg
5 ½ TBSP ice water
1 teaspoon vinegar
In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt.
Using a knife, shave off pieces of lard and butter into a bowl. Shaved pieces will be easier to cut into the flour.
I cup lard and 1/4 cup butter
Using a pastry blender, cut in the lard until the mixture is very fine.
In a separate bowl, beat together the egg, water and vinegar.
Make a small well in the flour mixture and the all the liquids. Mix just until the dough comes together in a ball.
Divide the dough into three equal pieces and flatten into disks. (Why three pieces? Two for a pie with crust topping and one for a pie with French Crumb Topping!*) Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out.
See those white spots and yellow spots? That's lard and butter chunks. THAT's what makes a flaky crust. Trust me on this.
Tip #3
I struggled with making pie for a long time because I couldn’t roll out the crust very well. It would have uneven thicknesses and is typically shaped like Africa or Australia. Then I would have to patch it together. But you know what? Once I read the statement of "you can’t TASTE round" I got over my obsession of creating that perfectly shaped crust. Once I got past that hang up, I got a more even crust too. So there. And isn't really about the taste anyway?
Place the rolled out crust in a glass pie pan.
I struggled with making pie for a long time because I couldn’t roll out the crust very well. It would have uneven thicknesses and is typically shaped like Africa or Australia. Then I would have to patch it together. But you know what? Once I read the statement of "you can’t TASTE round" I got over my obsession of creating that perfectly shaped crust. Once I got past that hang up, I got a more even crust too. So there. And isn't really about the taste anyway?
Place the rolled out crust in a glass pie pan.
Drain the juices from the apples.
Look at all the juice that came off the apples. Now imagine that juice lounging around the bottom of your pie. That's where your soggy crust comes from!
That's how much juice I drained off my apples.
Add in the prepared pie filling ingredients and mix well.
Place the filling in the prepared crust and roll out the top crust. (Or use alternative method of the French Crumb Topping*.)
Before placing on the top crust on the filling, dot on a little butter. This helps adds richness to your filling.
Flute the edges of the crust and cut in slits in the top to allow steam to escape. For added flair brush the top with egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Oooo…Purty!
Tip #4
Before placing the pie in the oven, wrap the edges of the pie pan with a strip of tin foil forming a little tin foil shield. Remove and set aside. After the pie bakes for a while, wrap the shield around the edges to prevent over-browning. If you make your shield ahead of time, you won't have to try to form it when the pie is hot.
Before placing the pie in the oven, wrap the edges of the pie pan with a strip of tin foil forming a little tin foil shield. Remove and set aside. After the pie bakes for a while, wrap the shield around the edges to prevent over-browning. If you make your shield ahead of time, you won't have to try to form it when the pie is hot.
Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven. (Admire your work and get a good whiff of that cinnamon and nutmeg!) And add the tin foil shield and bake for 15 minutes more or until done.
Cool on a rack so the air is able to flow under the pie.
Cool on a rack so the air is able to flow under the pie.
CUT and EAT IT!
The best Apple pie recipe
Done. Easy peasy. Well, not exactly easy....but oh so good and totally worth the effort. You’ll be proud of yourself for giving it a try.
*French Crumb Topping
Mix 2 cups of flour to 1/2 cup firm butter and 1/2 cup of brown sugar until crumbly. Top the pie with crumb topping and use a tin foil shield to prevent over-browning on the edges. Best served warm.
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