DP's Homemade Apple Pie

The apple trees in my parents' yard are still heavy with lots of delicious apples. This year, I had planned to make apple sauce, apple butter, and lots of apple pie. So far, the only thing I've done is make apple pie.

I don't have much time to experiment with different recipes, so I still plan to learn how to make all those delicious apple dishes... I just don't know. The good news is that the apple tree produces delicious apples every year, so I have lots of time on my side.

Below: My recent apple harvest


Today I want to share my special apple pie recipe. I also make pear pie, using the same recipe and substituting apples for pears. We're not big pear fans, so pear pie is a lovely substitute. Plus, it tastes exactly like apple pie.

Below: My Apple Pie


I made this apple pie for my writer's group last month, and everyone loved it. I got rave reviews. So if you have the time and the extra apples, I would recommend trying this dessert. It is YUMMY!

A little history on this pie: this recipe was first used by my American grandmother's mother. I've made a few changes to the pie filling, but the pie crust recipe is hers. It is a delicious and easy crust.

Below: A side view. I used the wrong dish to cook the pie in. Instead of using a pie pan, I used a cake pan... but it still turned out delicious!


DP's Special Apple Pie

For the crust:

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup Crisco (butter can be used, if you prefer)
1/4 cup water

For the pie filling:

5 to 6 medium-sized baking apples, cored and sliced thin
1/2 to 2/3 brown sugar (tart apples need more sugar)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch (very juicy apples need more cornstarch)
2 cinnamon sticks (or 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, add more or less, depending on your taste)
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

First, make the crust. Sift the flour and salt in a bowl. Take out 1/3 cup of the flour and add 1/4 cup of water to form a paste. Add the Crisco to the remaining flour. Using a pastry blender, cut the Crisco into the flour until the mix becomes the size of small peas. Next, add the flour paste to flour mixture. Mix until the dough can be shaped into a ball. Roll out until large enough to fill a pie pan. (Use excess dough for top crust.)

For the pie, combine apples, sugar, salt, cornstarch, grated cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Stir until apples are well coated. Place them in layers in the pie shell. (Optional: dot with butter). Cover with a prickled upper crust (made from excess dough). Sprinkle the top with brown sugar and cinnamon.

Bake the pie at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake 35-45 minutes until done.

Enjoy!

Below: The filling of the pie. So gooey and so yummy!