Recipe: Homemade Apple Pie

The holidays are near.

Which means that aside from the red holiday cups from Starbucks, it's that time of year to enjoy homemade baked goods.

As a child, I primarily enjoyed the holidays because of the homemade cookies, hot chocolate and hot apple cider.

Then one thing changed my food life. One word for you: PIE.

Pie is the one food item that I am pretty sure I could never get sick of. With so many varieties - apple, chocolate, pumpkin, cold, hot, crust, crumbly top - the options are endless.

One holiday season, I got the urge to bake my own pie, from scratch.

Success!

Now, not to brag, but homemade pie crust is so much better than store-bought frozen guck. Bottom line, there is no comparison, you have to try it yourself.

Below, is my updated recipe (I've slightly altered the one from the Better Homes and Garden New Cookbook) for homemade Apple Pie with double crust. It's pretty delish and appropriate for those holiday parties and dinners that are right around the corner.

Bon Appetite!

Pasty for Double-Crust Pie

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
2/3 cup of shortening
9 or 10 tablespoons cold water (carbonated water works well)

In a medium bowl stir together flour, salt and cinnamon. Using a pastry blender, cut in the shortening until the pieces are pea sized and the shortening pieces are covered in flour.

Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Place 8 tablespoons of cold water into the middle and use a fork to toss flour onto the flour mixture. Begin mixing the flour mixture together using the fork. If there are still dry pieces of flour, add the remaining water, tablespoons at a time.

As the dough begins to form, begin to knead the dough with your hands. Place onto a lightly floured surface.

Separate the dough into two pieces. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out one piece onto the floured surface, into a 9-inch round circle.

When dough is flattened into the 9-inch circle, fold the dough in half and then again (making a quarter/triangle), which will make it easier to transfer onto a pie plate. Cut off the edges which hang over the pie plate.

Using a fork, poke holes in the pie shell making sure the pie does not get air bubbles when cooking.

Set aside.

Since this recipe is for a double crusted pie, roll out the other half of the dough into a 9-inch round circle and set aside.

Apple Pie Filling

6 cups of thinly sliced Golden Delicious Apples (aim for smaller than a quarter inch)
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
¾ cup of sugar
2 tablespoons of flour
½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

After peeling and slicing the apples into very thin pieces mix the apples with the lemon juice, sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir together until the apples are fully coated.

Let the mixture set for about 10 minutes.

Take the apple mixture and fill the pie crust with the mixture. Do not include the liquid that may have built up at the bottom of the apple mixture (when the pie cooks, the apples will let off a lot of moisture in itself).

Place the second rolled pie crust on top of the pie and create a fluted edge using your fingers.

In order to avoid burnt edges, wrap foil around the sides of the pie crust.

Place the pie into a 370 degree oven for 40-minutes. Take out the pie and remove the foil. Place the pie back into the oven for another 25-30 minutes, until you see that the pie has started to bubble.

Remove the pie from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for at least an hour.

If you cut into the pie to early the liquid that the apples let off will not have set and your pie will be runny.

* Note: Fruit pies can stand at room temperature for up to 24-hours before being refrigerated.