Brandy's Cooking Tips and Recipes

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The Best Apple Pie You've Ever Tasted

If you are allergic to cinnamon, you're in luck!

(Picture taken from original recipe page here)

I thought I would kick off this part of the blog with one of my all time favorite recipes. Sometimes the best recipes come from the marriage of two separate recipes.  That's the case in this recipe, you get a 2 for 1.  Apple pie as well as one of the best recipes I have found for pie crust.  Obviously, you can use it for any pie including your savory pies as well.

One of the benefits of this pie is that you do not use cinnamon.  I bet you are thinking that apple pie just won't taste the same without cinnamon.  You couldn't be more wrong.  I have had so many compliments on this pie.  I was even told I could win an award with it, which I agree with. :)

I know a lot of you may be trying to lose weight or eat healthier.  I truly believe that as long as you don't over indulge, it's good to treat yourself from time to time.  When I want to treat myself or others that I love, this is my go-to recipe.  And without further adieu...The Best Apple Pie You've Ever Tasted!

I always start with the pie crust because you can work on the rest of the pie while the crust is chillin' in the refrigerator for the hour it needs to chill. 

Perfect Pie Crust

(PÂTE BRISÉE)

(Pictures and recipe courtesy of Simply Recipes. You can find original recipe here.)

One of the secrets to a flaky pie crust is to work with very cold butter. Cut the butter into cubes and freeze, at least 15 minutes, best over an hour or even overnight. The minute I even think I might want to make a pie, the first thing I do is cut some butter into cubes and put it in the freezer.

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling

1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

6 to 8 Tbsp ice water

Grandma Ople's Apple Pie

(Picture and recipe courtesy of All Recipes. You can find the original recipe here.)

Ingredients

• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced

METHOD

Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor; pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse 6 to 8 times, until mixture resembles coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add ice water 1 Tbsp at a time, pulsing until mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it's ready. If the dough doesn't hold together, add a little more water and pulse again. Note that too much water will make the crust tough.

Remove dough from machine and place in a mound on a clean surface. If you want an extra flaky crust, shmoosh the dough mixture into the table top with the heel of the palm of your hand a few times. This will help flatten the butter into layers between the flour which will help the resulting crust be flaky. You can easily skip this step if you want. Gently shape the dough mixture into two disks. Work the dough just enough to form the disks, do not over-knead. You should be able to see little bits of butter in the dough. These small chunks of butter are what will allow the resulting crust to be flaky. Sprinkle a little flour around the disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days.

This is where we integrate the recipe for the pie.  

Melt butter in a sauce pan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add white sugar, brown sugar and water; bring to a boil. Reduce temperature, and simmer 5 minutes.

Remove one crust disk from the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes in order to soften just enough to make rolling out a bit easier. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch circle; about 1/8 of an inch thick. As you roll out the dough, check if the dough is sticking to the surface below. If necessary, add a few sprinkles of flour under the dough to keep the dough from sticking. Carefully place onto a 9-inch pie plate. Gently press the pie dough down so that it lines the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Use a pair of kitchen scissors to trim the dough to within 1/2 inch of the edge of the pie dish.

Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work crust (Cut in strips placing them on top of apples going one way and apply the rest of the strips in the opposite direction. Leave enough room in between to be able to get liquid in.) Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off. (Place pie on a baking sheet just in case you have leakage. Nobody wants their oven to catch on fire over a pie.)

Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes.

I usually have extra crust that is great to sprinkle with brown sugar and bake. If you are able to eat cinnamon, of course add some cinnamon sugar. Get creative, the kids love to help with this part. 

I hope you enjoy this recipe as a little thank you for following this very important blog!

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