OKAY... So I debated on this awhile... I wasn't sure if I wanted to give out my family recipes, keep it in the family and all that what-not.
Then I thought.. why not?
Why not share some of the amazing things that I grew up knowing and loving, with you?
These recipes will always and forever remind me of a being a child and going over to my grandma's or great-grandma's. Please feel free to use them but if you do, note where they came from and let me know how it turns out for you!
- 2 cups all-purposeflour
- 1 teaspoonsalt
- 3/4 cup shortening (Crisco is what I use)
- 4 tablespoons cold water
Filling:
- 8 Apples (Generally Granny Smith)
- 1/2 cup unsaltedbutter
- 3 tablespoons all-purposeflour
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup packedbrown sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
I start with peeling and coring and slicing the apples into a large bowl.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Start with the crust first, in a bowl, combine flour and salt.
Add in Crisco, you can use the regular shortening like mom used to cook with or you can add the baking sticks, I've used them before and they seem to work pretty well! Plus, on the side of the stick it tells you how much it is on lines so you can "cut out your cup."
Gradually add cold water, and mix until dough forms a ball. I generally like to do this part with my hands because it makes me feel like a kid again and it makes baking fun!
You need to chill the dough for 30 minutes, so while you do that you can make the filling.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, then stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Add nutmeg, cinnamon and lemon juice. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
On a floured surface, roll half of dough out... grandma said to make a circle with the dough but well... that's near impossible for me, so just roll it out until you can cover the bottom of a 9-in pie pan/dish.
Take the filling off the heat and add it to your sliced apples and mix together well. Make sure all the apples are covered and then pour the mixture on to the crust in your pie tin/dish.
You can do the top how ever it suits you. I like to do the lattice but it's easier to just cover it and cut slits.
To do a lattice cover I find it easier to start in the middle and work your way out.
Roll out your dough and cut about 1-in slices.
Lie your first layer of dough slices evenly spaced apart on top of the filling.
We'll say the slices are north to south.
Then, grab a long dough slice and lie it in the middle facing east to west, in the center. Pick up every other dough slice and weave in the new dough slice.
I find it easier to just pick up every other one and lightly fold it over, just make sure it doesn't stick to itself, and lie the dough slice in the middle and then fold it the pieces back over the new slice.
Keep repeating the process for both sides until the whole top is covered. (I will include step by step pictures next time I make a pie.)
Pinch the ends of the dough slices to the bottom crust to for the edge. I like to pinch and roll the edge and use my finger indents to make it look a little "fancier". If your just cooking it to eat up soon and it's just you and your family, you can just pinch it to make sure it's shut ;).
(Optional: Melt about a tablespoon of butter, mix "a pinch" of cinnamon in and brush it on the crust. This
should a a little flavoring and give it the more brown color and crunchy crust.)
After the edge is sealed, put the pie in the oven on 425 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes. Don't cook it too long or you'll burn the edges. If your edges are getting brown a little too quick put some foil around the edge just over the crust, don't put it over the whole thing.
After 15 minutes, turn the oven down to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for another 30-45 minutes. I usually do about 30 minutes, but every oven cooks differently (Even if it's set on the same temperature).
Viola!
If you look at the pictures you can see the different ways that I cook and how each one turned out. Yes, they are all different pies. The first picture is with out the foil and didn't cook for the full 45 minutes. Second, covered with foil and didn't cook the full 45 minutes. Third, I didn't cook with foil and let it cook for the full 45 minutes.
I hope you enjoy your new recipe from my Great-Grandma's Recipe box. How did yours turn out? Does it taste how you would hope? Do you have a new recipe to add to your recipe box? Please, let us know! I'm going to be adding more recipes here soon, so keep watch!
(Please, if you want to share your experience with the recipe on your blog, pinterest, or any other social media make sure you let everyone know where you got it, it's only fair that my Great-Grandma get credit for her recipes.)
FAQs
You do not need to pre-bake a pie crust for an apple pie or any baked fruit pie really, but we do freeze the dough to help it stay put. Pre-baking the pie crust is only required when making a custard pie OR when making a fresh fruit pie. you should probably get: Pie weights are super helpful to have for pre-baking.
What is the best thickener for apple pie? ›
The best way to thicken runny apple pie filling before baking it is to add some cornstarch, tapioca starch, or flour to your mix. To fix a runny pie that's already been baked, simply let it cool to see if it will congeal naturally. If not, you can stick it back in the oven for a bit longer.
What are the three best apples for apple pie? ›
The best apples for making apple pie
- Braeburn. This apple is a descendant of Granny Smith, but slightly sweeter. ...
- Cortland. ...
- Crispin (Mutsu). ...
- Golden Delicious. ...
- Granny Smith. ...
- Honeycrisp. ...
- Jonagold or Jonathan. ...
- Northern Spy.
Many pie fillings are made with a processed thickening agent that keeps the filling jelly-like and in place. But McDonald's uses a dehydrated apple powder. The powder not only thickens the filling, but it also adds that extra apple taste that you love.
How do I keep the bottom of my apple pie from getting soggy? ›
Brush the Bottom with Corn Syrup or Egg White
During that time, the egg cooks into a glossy layer that will later prevent the filling from seeping into the crust and making it soggy.
How do you keep the bottom of an apple pie from getting soggy? ›
Crust dust is a 1:1 mixture of flour and granulated sugar. When baking a pie, especially a fruit pie, a couple of teaspoons of crust dust sprinkled into the bottom of the crust will help prevent the crust from becoming saturated with juicy filling as it bakes.
Is it better to use flour or cornstarch for apple pie? ›
Corn starch lends a glossy thickness and adds sheen to the filling while flour adds opacity and some mouthfeel so that it has a sort-of creaminess. With all corn starch the filling reminds me too much of store-bought pies with that gloopy clear gel-like texture and with all flour it can get too lumpy and stodgy.
Is cornstarch or flour better for thickening apple pie? ›
Thickening properties: Cornstarch thickens more effectively than flour but needs higher temperatures to thicken. Toss it with sugar first to help it disperse better when it hits liquid.
How to fix watery apple pie after baking? ›
But if you bake your pie and it's STILL runny try letting it cool down (if you haven't yet) and it will likely thicken as it cools, put it back in the oven again to activate the thickener or drain off some of the liquid off and then put it back in the oven.
Why is my apple pie watery? ›
One of the chief reasons bakers end up with apple soup under the crust is failure to bake their pie long enough. There's almost no such thing as over-baking an apple pie; I've baked apple pies for 2 hours and longer, and they turn out just fine.
You don't want some thick solid apples and some thin mushy apples. You want them all to be tender, while retaining some texture. Aim for about 1/4-inch-thick slices. If the apple slices are too thin, they'll just pack themselves down and you'll be on your way to making an applesauce pie.
Are honeycrisp apples good for apple pie? ›
Using a combination of tart and sweet apple varieties will create the right flavor balance for the best apple pie. The 7 best apples for baking pie: Our favorite apple pie recipe calls for Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Golden Delicious apples, or a mix of all three.
What fast-food has the best apple pie? ›
Final ranking from worst to best: Burger King, McDonald's, Arby's, Popeyes, Checkers. Checkers hasn't been on my radar much, and its other desserts didn't really impress. But when it came to apple pie, Checkers rallied and landed the top spot.
Why are Costco apple pies so good? ›
Costco's apple pie is frequently praised for its pleasing crunchy texture and nice balance between sweetness and tanginess when it comes to the filling. In fact, lots of people claim that this pie tastes like it was made from scratch.
What is the difference between the old and new McDonald's apple pies? ›
Public opinion started to lean away from fried food and more toward baked, so McDonald's switched to a baked version in 1992. The new version was undoubtedly healthier, though many longtime fans insist that the old flaky, crispy crust was tastier.
How long to pre bake a bottom pie crust? ›
Line the crust with foil, parchment, or a paper coffee filter. Fill it about two-thirds full with dried beans, uncooked rice (or other uncooked grain berries), pie weights, or granulated sugar. Bake the crust in a preheated 375°F oven for 20 minutes, set on a baking stone or steel if you have one.
How do you get a crispy crust on the bottom of a pie? ›
Getting a brown, flaky/crispy bottom crust on your pie is all about quick and effective heat transfer. That's why aluminum or aluminum/steel pans — rather than glass or stoneware — are your best choice for baking pie. Metal, especially aluminum, transfers heat quickly and efficiently from oven to pie crust.
How long do you bake a bottom pie crust? ›
For a pie that you will cook further, like a quiche, bake the crust until it's dry and just beginning to brown, but still pale in color, 45-50 minutes. For a pie that will need no further baking, like a chocolate cream pie, bake the crust until it's evenly browned and crisp-looking, 60 to 75 minutes.
Do you grease the bottom of a pie crust? ›
Spraying your pie pan with cooking spray or greasing the pan might change the texture of the bottom of the crust, so if you're not going to remove the whole pie from the dish before serving and it doesn't have a sticky, messy filling, it's more than okay to refrain from greasing the pan.
