PIE PIE PIE PIE PIE
Hey guys! I LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE pie. The only problem with pie, for me, is the process of making it. In fact, each time I make it, I usually cry because my dough breaks and there’s never enough and wah wah wah wah wah. This doesn’t happen when you’re baking with Crafstine! who is a mad scientist in the kitchen. The title of this post shows that. This recipe is a mixture between a very structured recipe, and something that Crafstine created IN HER MIND. ON THE SPOT.
My most favorite pie is the apple pie that my mom makes. She gave me the Good Housekeeping Step by Step Cookbook for my 20th birthday, since that holds a lot of recipes that she uses. Unfortunately, the apple pie (THE MOST IMPORTANT RECIPE) is not the same that she uses. So, I scribbled down all of the changes so I would have hers. Then Crafstine came into play. She saw the double crust factor in the book and raised it less carbs.
The bottom crust is the same as my mom’s:
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons of butter flavor shortening
Filling:
6 big apples
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons lemon juice
and I think Crafstine put ginger in there? probably 1/2 teaspoon, at most.
In a large bowl, mix flour and salt. With a pastry blender or two knives used in scissor fashion, cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Sprinkle in 4 to 6 tablespoons of ice water, a tablespoon at a time. This will vary based upon how humid it is! Mix lightly with a fork after each addition, until the dough is juuuust moist enough to hold together. This was my problem. Crafstine saw that it came together, and I was all, “MORE WATER? IT’S STILL CRUMBLY? IT’S BARLEY STAYING TOGETHER, MORE WATER!” but I listened, and she was totally right.
Shape dough into a ball, wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, you can take the dough out and start rolling. Right before the 30 minute mark, we peeled and sliced the apples into 1/8 inch thick slices and combined everything in a bowl. Crafstine rolled out the dough RIGHT ON THE PLASTIC WRAP (BLOWING MY MIND!) and then we put it into the pie pan. Put the filling in, and then get ready to get weird. Crafstine’s genius mind came up with the idea to create a streusel-like topping with:
1/2 cup raw almonds
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 stick of butter
2 tablespoon of flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar.
We put it all in a food processor, and it was AMAZING. We crumbled it on top, and put it into a pre-heated oven of 400. After a while, we could really smell the almonds getting toasty, so we lowered the temperature to about 350. We baked it for about a 1/2 an hour, and let it cool for 30 minutes. I actually ate it for breakfast this morning (because I’m a child), and it’s a lovely (lovely!) mixture between soft, tart apples with a nice nutty crunch on top.
–megz
iwanttoeatyou 