Apple Pie Recipe and Back-to-School

Where we manufacture our wood cutting boards with love in Northern U.S., trees will soon start to change color and kids are starting to get ready to go back to school. It’s the time of the year when I start thinking about an all-American classic: apple pie. I can’t get enough of it! No matter if you prefer it warm and à-la-mode, or plain at room temperature, it is as delicious served as a dessert or as a snack. How about learning how to cook this all-time favorite at home?

The crust

If you prefer buying your crust already made at the grocery store, skip this step and go directly to the next step. You can also buy the dough. However, there is nothing like an homemade crust!

For the pastry, you will need:

• ¾ cup of shortening;
• 3 tbsp of unsalted butter
• 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ tsp of salt
• ½ cup ice-cold water

Beat the shortening and butter together until smooth. Then, stir in flour and salt until you get a ragged-looking, coarse mixture. Add all the water at once and stir until it has the consistency of loose dough. Form 2 balls with floured hands, and refrigerate for at least an hour, ideally overnight.

Once chilled, take one of the two balls and, on a well-floured rolling surface, with a floured rolling pin, roll your dough to form a 13-in circle, to form the bottom of your pie in a 9 inch pie plate.

Apple Filling

You will need:

• 8 cups (about 2 ¼ lb)of peeled and sliced apples
• 2 tbsp of lemon juice
• ½ cup brown sugar or granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp flour
• ½ tsp cinnamon, to taste

Toss all ingredients in a mixing bowl, and then transfer them in the pie shell. The variety of apples available early during apple season are usually the best ones for pies, as they are firmer and has that tart taste that is so good. Later in season, apples tend to be sweeter and softer.

Then, roll the remainder of your dough in a 12 inches diameter circle, and cover your apples. You can form a scalloped edge using your fingers, and then trim the excess hanging over the sides of the plate.

The Golden Touch

The secret for grandma’s golden touch lies in glazing the pie before putting it in the oven. Whisk together an egg yolk and 1 tsp of water. Brush your crust with it, and then sprinkle about 1 tsp of sugar over it. Bake for 55 – 60 minutes at 350F or until crust is golden, apple filling is bubbling, and apples are soft when you prick at them with a knife through the vent hole. Let it cool on a cooling rack, or on a wood cutting board to protect your countertops.

Voi-là!