Holiday Apple Pie Food

BACON TOPPED HOLIDAY APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Place pie crust in 9-inch pie plate and flute edges as desired.
• Toss together apples and orange juice in large bowl. Add cranberries, walnuts and fresh ginger; mix well.
• Stir together flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in small bowl. Add to apples and toss until apples are evenly coated. Pour mixture into prepared pie crust.
• Weave bacon slices together over top of pie, leaving 1-inch spaces between slices (4 slices by 4 slices); tuck ends of strips under apples where needed. Sprinkle remaining 3 tablespoons brown sugar over top of bacon slices.
• Bake pie in 425 degrees F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F and bake approximately 50 minutes until bacon is browned and crisp. Cover edges of crust if start to get too dark. Let pie stand 15 minutes before slicing to serve. Cover and refrigerate leftovers. Pie is best served warm.

GRANDMA'S APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Roll 1/2 the short crust pastry to 1/4-inch thickness and cut out a 14-inch circle. Line a 9-inch pie plate with the pastry, trim away the excess and crimp the edge.
• Roll out the rest of the pastry to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut the pastry into 1/2-inch strips. On a piece of parchment paper or waxed paper weave the strips of pastry into a lattice that will cover the top of a 9-inch pie plate with 1-inch of overhang. Refrigerate the pie shell and lattice for at least 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cut the apple quarters into 1/4-inch thick slices. Toss the apples with the sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk together the egg yolk and water to make an egg wash. Brush the inside edge of the pastry with the egg wash. Arrange the apples in the pie shell and dab the top with pieces of cold butter. Slide the lattice top over the apples. Press the pastry of the lattice firmly on the crimped edge to seal the 2 together. Brush the lattice with egg wash. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Using a cheese grater, grate the butter and shortening into the flour. Combine the mixture with your fingers until it resembles cornmeal. Add the ice cold water and mix with a spoon, pulling the water into the flour until a dough forms.
• With your hands, shape the dough into 2 balls and flatten them into disks. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 1 month.

7UP HOLIDAY APPLE PIE PUNCH

Steps:

• Add the ingredients to 1 gallon punch bowl.
• Garnish the punch bowl with slices of green apples, lemons and limes.

HOMEMADE APPLE PIE

Steps:

• For the pie crust: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. With a pastry cutter, gradually cut the cold butter into the flour until pea-sized pieces form. In a small bowl, combine the cold water and apple cider vinegar. Add the vinegar mixture to the flour/butter mixture 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing gently in between each addition. Stir together until all of the ingredients are incorporated and the mixture holds together when pinched with your fingers. Turn the mixture out onto a clean countertop and knead 4 to 5 times until combined. Divide the dough into two evenly sized balls and flatten each to a disk shape, about 1/2-inch thick (with minimal cracks). Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours (or up to 2 days).
• Preheat the oven to 425˚ and place a baking sheet on the bottom rack.
• Roll out the remaining disk of dough on a floured surface into a 13-inch round. Carefully lay the dough over the filling, fold the overhanging dough under the overhang from the bottom crust, and crimp the edges of the crust using a fork. Cut a few 1-inch slits in the top crust (to release the steam). Brush the top of the pie with heavy cream.
• Place the pie on the preheated baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350˚ and bake, rotating halfway through, until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown, 50 to 60 more minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool about 2 hours before slicing.

HOLIDAY APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 F.
• Place bottom layer of pie pastry into a 9" pie plate and set aside.
• Cut up butter into small pieces and set aside in a small dish at room temperature.
• Combine apple slices with lemon juice, sugar, flour, apple pie seasoning, and salt, mixing gently to combine well, but without crushing the apple slices.
• Pour filling into pie plate.
• Sprinkle the butter pieces over the top evenly.
• Top pie with top layer of the pie pastry, crimping and sealing edges decoratively.
• Combine egg yolk and water and brush over entire surface of the pie with a pastry brush.
• Cut a few slits in the top crust to allow venting of steam.
• Set a foil lined cookie sheet on the bottom rack of your oven and set the pie on the center rack of your oven (the extra pan will help catch any drips).
• Bake for 15 minutes at 425F.
• Lower the oven temperature to 350 F and bake another 40-45 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is starting to bubble.
• Let cool before slicing as this will be boiling hot when fresh from the oven (you may serve pie warm or cold).
• NOTE: I check the pie about halfway through the baking process and if the crust edges are getting too brown, I set a pie ring on top; If you don't have a pie ring, you can make one using foil.

HOLIDAY FRUIT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a small saucepan, combine cranberries, water and honey. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat until berries pop, about 15 minutes. Cool slightly., In a large bowl, combine pineapple, cornstarch and cinnamon; stir in cranberry mixture and apple. On a lightly floured surface, roll one half of pastry dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim pastry even with rim. Add filling., Roll remaining dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle. Place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edge. Cut slits in top. Bake 45-55 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cover pie loosely with foil during the last 30 minutes if needed to prevent overbrowning. Remove foil. Cool on a wire rack.

CHRISTMAS APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Divide the pastry into 2 parts, one a little larger than the other. Wrap the larger piece in plastic wrap and reserve. On a lightly floured surface, roll the smaller piece into a round, 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick, large enough to overlap a 10 by 2-inch pie plate. Arrange in the pie plate and even with a sharp knife, leaving about a 1/2-inch overhang. (Add the trimmings to the reserved dough). Tuck the overhang back under, making a slightly thicker edging. Chill for 30 minutes. If using a glass pie plate, remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before filling.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the reserved piece of dough into a 12-inch square, about 1/4-inch thick. Cut out a piece of cardboard, 1/2-inch wide and 10 or 12 inches long. Wrap the strip in plastic wrap and use as a guide. With a sharp knife or a pastry cutter, cut the dough into 20 (1/2-inch) strips. Lay 10 strips vertically on the back of a large baking pan, leaving a very small space between strips. Weave a lattice pattern by placing each of the remaining strips over and under horizontally. (It's easier to weave if the dough is not too firm, but it can't be too soft, either. If it's too soft, refrigerate for a little while and then continue). To weave, turn back every other strip of dough (1, 3, 5, etc.), lay a horizontal strip across, as close to the top as possible, and return the turned-back strips to the original length.
• For the next row, alternate the strips that you turn back (2, 4, 6, etc.) and again place a horizontal strip across, close to the first strip. Repeat this procedure until all the strips are used. Refrigerate just until firm. Using a 9-inch cardboard round, a plate, or a pot cover as a guide, cut out a 9-inch circle of latticework and refrigerate on the baking pan until needed. (Excess dough can be wrapped and refrigerated or frozen for future use).
• Peel, core and quarter the apples. Cut into 1/4-inch slices. In 2 or 3 large skillets, melt the butter (2 or 3 tablespoons in each skillet, depending upon how many you use) and brown. The butter will have a slightly nutty aroma. Divide the apples, arrange in the pans, and coat with the butter. Sprinkle in the sugar and over medium-high heat, saute the apples until lightly caramelized and tender, 15 to 20 minutes, turning often so that the apples cook evenly. Pour in 1 tablespoon of Calvados and the brandy and cook until the alcohol burns off. Pour in the cream and stir through. Transfer and spread over a large baking tray to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Warm the remaining 1/4 cup Calvados. Combine the chopped prunes, apricots, and figs in a small bowl. Pour the Calvados over and let plump.
• In a large bowl, combine the cooled apples and the plumped dried fruit. Stir in the lemon juice, cinnamon, lemon and orange zests, and nutmeg, and mix well. Spoon the filling into the prepared pie plate. Using a wide spatula, carefully transfer the 9-inch latticework circle and arrange on top of the filling. Brush the latticework with egg white and sprinkle with the crystallized sugar. Bake 30 minutes, turn the oven down to 350 degrees F and bake 35 to 40 minutes longer, until the crust is golden brown. Cool on a rack. Serve warm.
• In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the flour and sugar. Add the butter and process until the texture resembles fine meal.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the yolks and 1 tablespoon of the cream. Scrape into the machine and process until a ball begins to form, using the additional tablespoon of cream, if necessary. Remove the dough from the machine, and on a lightly floured surface, press down into a circle. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

HOLIDAY APPLE PIE

Steps:

• 1. Mix 3 tablespoons of the butter with 1/4 cup of the flour, 4 tablespoons of the sugar and the 2 cups of old fashioned oats in small bowl and set aside. Peel and quarter apples and set aside. use 1 Pillsbury pie crust or crust of your own making, line pie plate and flute edges. For airy pie crust, sprinkle crust with sugar and cinnamon and pierce with fork.
• 2. Mix the rest of the flour, sugars, and spices together in large bowl. Stir in walnut pieces, cranberries and apple slices, lightly coating all of the apples, nuts and cranberries in the dry mixture.
• 3. Place the fruit mixture into the pie plate and spread evenly, taking the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and cut in slices across the top. Cover the top with the oat crumb mixture. Drizzle caramel over the top and bake in oven one hour at 350.