Grandma’s Apple Pie

This is the most delicious apple pie that I ever had.  The filling is perfect and so is the crust. Flaky and delicious.  People have very different opinions of how you should make pie crust.  Some say butter while others say shortening.  Now there is the third group that says there is nothing better than a combination of butter and shortening.  You even have the folks that use oil.  I like the taste of an all butter crust and I guess my Grandmother did also.

Pie crust is very intimidating.  When I first started making pies, I tried different recipes and found that the dough is very hard to handle.  It doesn’t seem as though it is going to stay together, and sometimes it doesn’t.  When I found this recipe, I couldn’t believe how easy and delicious it is.

Cut the sticks of butter into cubes and let sit in the refrigerator while you are preparing the flour mixture. In a large bowl, sift the flour with salt . Add the butter cubes and cut them into the flour until it resembles course corn meal. You can do this with 2 knives or with a pastry cutter.

Add the ice water, one spoon at a time. Toss lightly with a fork, while shaping into a ball. You may have to get your hands in the bowl to shape the dough into a ball. It may not seem as though it will stay together, but keep working it and it will.

 

Cut the ball in half and flatten each half. Place one at a time on a sheet of wax paper and roll. Parchment paper will also work fine. If you dampened your work surface before you put the wax paper down, it will prevent the paper from slipping.

Roll from the center out to form a circle. Have your pie plate handy so you can measure the dough.

When you have rolled it so it will fit in the bottom and sides of the pie plate, turn the wax paper over so that the dough is in the pie plate. Carefully remove the wax paper and work the dough into the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Cut the edges of the dough slightly bigger than the top rim.

 

Apple Pie Filling

Peel, core and thinly slice the apples. Add all ingredients and mix well. Mound in center of pie plate. Dot with butter.

 

 

Here’s the recipe

 

 

Grandma’s Apple Pie

Ingredients

Pastry

2 1/2 Cups Flour

1 tsp Salt

1 Cup Butter – 2 sticks

6-9 TBSP Ice Water

 

Filling

1 Cup Granulated Sugar

1 tsp Cinnamon

¼ Cup Flour

Dash of Salt

2 ½ Lbs Cooking Apples (6-8)

2 TBSP Butter

 

Filling Instructions

Peel, core and thinly slice the apples. Add the cinnamon, flour, salt and sugar to the apples and mix well.

 

Pastry Instructions

Cut the sticks of butter into cubes and let sit in the refrigerator while you are preparing the flour mixture. In a large bowl, sift the flour with salt . Add the butter cubes and cut them into the flour until it resembles course corn meal. You can do this with 2 knives or with a pastry cutter.

Add the ice water, one spoon at a time. Toss lightly with a fork, while shaping into a ball. You may have to get your hands in the bowl to shape the dough into a ball. It may not seem as though it will stay together, but keep working it and it will.

Cut the ball in half and flatten each half. Place one at a time on a sheet of wax paper and roll. Parchment paper will also work fine. If you dampened your work surface before you put the wax paper down, it will prevent the paper from slipping.

Roll from the center out to form a circle. Have your pie plate handy so you can measure the dough. When you have rolled it so it will fit in the bottom and sides of the pie plate, turn the wax paper over so that the dough is in the pie plate. Carefully remove the wax paper and work the dough into the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Cut the edges of the dough slightly bigger than the top rim.

Fill the pie shell with the apple mixture, mounding in center of pie plate. Dot with butter.

Roll out the top dough the same way and put it over the filling of the pie. Crimp the edges either using your hands or a fork.

Cut slits in the pie for the steam to escape.

 

In a small bowl, add 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of water, whisk. Brush the egg wash over the entire pastry. Bake in a 450º oven for 45 – 50 minutes until the crust is golden brown.

 

 

Download the recipe here:  grandmas-apple-pie