This week’s bake is the bake that made me fall in love with baking. Before this pie the only pie I knew anything about was the kind you buy from the grocery store. Then one day my kids school asked for volunteers to bake pies for their teachers for the holidays and for whatever reason I decided right then I could bake not just one pie but 3 delicious apple pies…. from scratch. After a few days of research, recipe recommendations and one temper tantrum (basically I had a moment where the idea of baking a crust scared the crap out of me and I had to be talked down from that ledge) the pie recipe below was born.
I’ve also included a few tips and tricks and my don’ts that I did at the bottom of the recipe. Enjoy!
Ingredients for Double Crust
2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2/3 cup of butter
1 tablespoon of white vinegar
5-6 tablespoons of 2% milk
1 egg white whisked plus 1 tablespoon of water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Ingredients for Apple Pie Filling
5 cups of thinly sliced apples (about 10 large apples)
3 tablespoons of sugar
3 teaspoons of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of salt
Directions for Pie Crust
In a small bowl, combine the flour and salt.
Cut in shortening until mixture is crumbly.
Sprinkle with vinegar.
Gradually add milk, tossing with a fork until a ball is formed.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until easy to handle.
Directions for Apple Pie Filling
Peel and thinly slice your apples.
In a medium bowl combine sliced apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt.
Toss gently to combine well.
Putting it all together
Divide dough into 2 portions, 1 slightly larger than the other.
Roll out larger ball on a lightly floured surface to fit 9 or 10 inch pie plate.
Add Apple Pie filling to uncooked pie shell.
Roll out remaining pastry to fit top, trim and flute edges.
Cut slits in top for venting.
Mix the egg white and water in a small bowl and brush over the pie.
Sprinkle with granulated sugar.
Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 400 degrees and continue cooking for an additional 30-40 minutes or until top is golden brown.
Tips and Trick and Don’ts that I did
For the apples I used half granny smith and half fuji, but you can use any type you’d like. I liked the tangy sweet combo of those two together, but there are so many kinds of apples you can mix and match several different combinations.
I used a potato peeler to peel my apples, it works perfectly.
When adding the apple filling, be sure to layer your apples and not just dump them in the shell. It helps to evenly bake your apples. I’ve included a picture below to show you how I layered.
Don’t be afraid to foil your edges when baking your pie. It’s kind of a pain, but worth it. I burned the edges a little on my first one because I wasn’t sure exactly how to foil and was too afraid to try. I found that cutting four strips of foil and doing it in sections worked best for me. Be careful not to burn yourself and make sure to foil before they get too brown (about half way through the bake).
My recipe has an extra teaspoon of cinnamon, but if you’d like a sweeter pie you can add just 2 teaspoons instead of 3.
I had no idea what “cut in the shortening” meant when I started baking. It just means to add cold butter to your dough. I found that the best way to do this is with a fork and your hands. Be careful not to handle the dough too much. The key to a flaky crust is cold butter.
I also had no idea how to make slits in a pie. The purpose is to allow the steam in the pie to be released during the baking process. The slits are basically vents. Start with a circle in the middle and then add slits however you’d like. Have fun with it. I added some dough leaves to my pies but there’s a million things you can do. Don’t be afraid to be creative!
Don’t throw a temper tantrum if this recipe seems hard. Trust me, if I can do it anyone can do it. And if you mess up, try again. My first pie was far from perfect, but the second and third turned out pretty great. Baking is like everything else, the more you do it, the better you get.
Most importantly, don’t forget to enjoy!
Mae Bakes 