Apple of my Pie

Nom, nom. It's apple season. Two weeks ago I bought my first bag of MacIntosh apples and I nearly died from how good that first bite was. Those of you who think I was over reacting must not remember that apples begin to convert their starches to sugars once picked so, even if you can get apples in April, they're not nearly as good. For this reason, I only eat apples in season. I also had a similar experience when my awesome cousin, Jenn, took me to an orchard where I bought a half peck (yes, as in "Peter Piper...") of more Mac's. While they are my favourie out-of-hand eating apple, they suck in pies (but are great in apple sauce) because they fall apart too easily. For this recipe, choose hearty apples such as Northern Spy, Golden Delicious, and Granny Smiths. Enjoy!





Apple Pie

Ingredient List
pie shells (2)
apples* (1.5 kg, ~ 6-8 medium/large)
unsalted butter (3 tbsp)
granulated sugar
ground cinnamon
table salt
lemon juice
honey (optinal)
coarse sugar (optional)

Directions
Peel, core, and slice 1.5 kg apples. Rinse each set of slices briefly in a solution of water and lemon juice to prevent browning while peeling the rest of the apples.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Melt 3 tbsp unsalted butter in a very large skillet or pot over high heat.

Add the apples and stir to coat. Reduce the head to medium, cover and cook until the apples have softened slightly, stirring often (~ 5-7 minutes).

Stir in ¾ cup granulated sugar, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ⅛ tsp table salt, and 2 tsp lemon juice.

Increase the heat to high and cook the apples until the juices thicken (~ 3 minutes).

Spread the apples in a single layer on a baking sheet and let them cool to room temperature.

Pour the apple mixture into the bottom pie crust. Cover with a vented top crust (vent can be made with a knife or a small cookie cutter), sealing the edges with pressure from fingers or a fork.

Optional: Mix 1 tbsp honey with 1 tbsp water. Brush over top crust. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake in lower half of the oven for 30-40 minutes, until the filling begins to bubble.

Let cool completely for 3-4 hours before serving. If desired, reheat in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes.

Makes 8 servings.

Notes
*A combination of baking apples is best; Courtland, Golden Delicious, Rome Beauty, Newtown/Pippin, Mutsu/Crispin, Northern Spy, Spygold, and Ida Red.

The top crust can be substituted with a streusel or crisp topping, instead.

Nutrition (per serving)
Calories 233
Total fat 6 g
Saturated fat 3 g
Cholesterol 11 mg
Sodium 93 mg
Carbohydrate 48 g
Dietary fibre 5 g
Sugars 39 g
Protein 1 g
Vitamin A 5 %DV
Vitamin C 15 %DV
Calcium 2 %DV
Iron 2 %D

Original Source: Joy of Cooking

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