Our Farm Fresh Apple Pie Food

FARM APPLE PAN PIE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder; cut in shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine yolks and cold water. Sprinkle over dry ingredients; toss with fork. If needed, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture can be formed into a ball. , Divide dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll half of dough to fit a 15x10 x1-in. baking pan. , Sprinkle apples with lemon juice; arrange half of them over dough. Combine the sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; sprinkle half over apples. Top with remaining apples; sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture. , Roll remaining dough to fit pan; place on top of filling and seal edges. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Cut vents in top crust. Bake at 400° until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 50 minutes.

THE BEST APPLE PIE

Steps:

• For the dough: Pulse the flour, granulated sugar and salt in a food processor to combine. Add the butter and process until the largest pieces of butter are pea-size. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Stir the vodka, vinegar and 1/4 cup ice water in a small bowl (or 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon ice water if you're not using vodka). Drizzle the wet ingredients over the dough, and then mix with a fork until shaggy pieces form. Knead the dough in the bowl with your hands a couple of times until it comes together (it will look quite dry, which is fine). Transfer the large clumps of dough to a work surface. Drizzle 1 tablespoon ice water over any remaining smaller bits of dough in the bowl and knead again to bring it together. If the remaining dough is still too dry to come together, add more ice water in 1 tablespoon increments. Add to the dough on the work surface and press together into a single mass, incorporating any dry bits. Then pat the dough into a 1-inch-thick block. Divide the block into 4 pieces with a bench scraper or knife. Stack the pieces on top of one another, tucking any unincorporated dry bits in between the layers. Flatten the dough into a 3/4-inch-thick block. Repeat this process (cutting, stacking and flattening) three more times; this creates layers of butter in the dough that produces a wonderful flaky, almost puff pastry-like crust.
• Divide the dough in half and form into 1-inch-thick discs; wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or preferably overnight. The dough can be made 3 days ahead. Keep it refrigerated or freeze it for up to 3 months.
• To fill and assemble: Peel, core and slice the apples into 1/2-inch wedges. Toss the apples, brown sugar, flour, butter, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt, allspice and nutmeg in a large bowl. Let the fruit sit for 30 minutes to extract the juices.
• Meanwhile, soften one dough disc at room temperature for 5 minutes. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly flour your work surface. Roll the dough out to 1/8-inch thick (about 16 inches in diameter). Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate. Soften the second disc at room temperature for 5 minutes. Then roll it out to the same thickness and diameter as the first disc.
• Carefully transfer the second disc to a 9-inch pie dish. Lift the edges so the dough slumps down into the dish. Press the dough firmly against the sides and bottom of the dish. Trim the edges, leaving about a 1-inch overhang. Refrigerate for 5 minutes to firm up. Remove the first disc from the refrigerator and let it soften for 5 minutes.
• Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Line another rimmed baking sheet with foil and place it on the center rack.
• Scrape the apple filling into the pie dish, creating a mound in the center. Beat the egg with 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl and brush the edges of the dough. Place the other disc over the filling. Trim the edges, leaving about a 1/2-inch overhang. Fold the bottom edge up and over the top edge; press together to seal. Crimp the edge and brush the top with egg wash. Sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Cut several vents in the top evenly spaced. Freeze the pie for 10 minutes.
• Put the pie dish on the preheated baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 375 degrees F. Continue to bake for 45 minutes, and then loosely tent with foil. Continue baking until the crust is a deep golden brown and the juices are thick and vigorously bubbling, 35 to 45 minutes longer. The juices will start to bubble at around 75 minutes, but they will thicken and bubble faster in the last 15 minutes; don't be tempted to pull it out until the bubbles are really going. (If using a clear pie dish, check underneath to make sure the bottom crust is evenly browned.) Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let it cool at least 4 hours before serving. (Yes, it smells amazing, and yes, people love warm pie. But if you don't give it time to set up properly, the filling will be runny when you cut into it.)

EASY AS APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Place bottom crust in pan. Add apples, sprinkle with sugar and nutmeg. Top with butter, place top crust over and vent with a few holes poked in pastry top. Bake 375 degrees for one hour.

OUR FARM FRESH APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Peel, slice and core apples uniformly and place in large bowl. Add sugars, corn starch, cinnamon, allspice or your choice of spice (...see above) and salt. Mix thoroughly until apples begin to give off a little bit of moisture.
• Place apple mixture into the bottom crust, mounding higher in the center. Dot with butter.
• Add top crust. I chose to make a lattice crust. Dampen edges with water and seal. If you don't make a lattice top, cut small slits to allow steam to escape.
• Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees, placing a piece of foil or cookie sheet underneath to catch drips later on.
• Remove pie from oven. Decrease temp to 375 degrees. Brush top of pie with milk, then sprinkle with additional cinnamon and sugar. Very loosely tent the entire pie with foil. If you prefer, you can cut a hole in a piece of foil allowing the center to be exposed. I find it gets too brown if I do this. It all depends on your oven. Place back in oven and continue to bake for 45-60 minutes, or until apples are tender and the syrup begins to bubble from the top of the pie. Allow to cool slightly before slicing.

FRESH APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F. Make pie crust mix as directed for 9-Inch Two-Crust Pie, using 1/3 cup cold water--except trim overhanging edge of bottom pastry 1 inch from rim of plate.
• Stir together 1/2 cup sugar, the flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in large bowl. Add apples; toss. Spoon into pastry-lined pie plate. Dot with butter.
• Roll remaining pastry; cut into 10 strips, each about 1/2 inch wide. Place 5 strips across filling in pie plate. Weave a cross-strip through by first folding back every other strip of the first 5 strips. Continue weaving, folding back alternate strips before adding each cross-strip, until lattice is complete. Trim ends. Fold trimmed edge of bottom crust over ends of strips, building up a high edge. Seal and flute. Brush lightly with milk; sprinkle lightly with additional sugar.
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown and juice is bubbly.

FARM FRESH APPLE PAN PIE/W EGG YOLK PASTRY

Steps:

• 1. Pastry: Combine dry ingredients; cut in Crisco. Place egg yolks in measuringg cup and stir with fork until blended. Stir in enough very cold water to make just a cupful. Sprinkle gradually over dry ingredients; toss with fork to make soft dough. Roll out as usual. Makes pastry for three 9-inch 2-crust pies or one jelly roll pan (15x10-inch what I use) For this pie roll out 1/2 the pastry and line the jelly roll pan. Put in filling. Roll remaining pastry and place on top., sealing and crimping edges, Brush with milk, sprinkle with a little granulated sugar and cut a few vents here and there or prick with a fork. --- Filling: When cutting up the apple - cut them into a pan with cold water that has about 1 teaspoon of salt and stir to dissolve salt. This will keep the apples from turning brown and keep them crisp. Drain apples and place in a large bowl or put back into the previous pan. Sprinkle lemon juice on apples. Combine remaining dry ingredients and mix with the apples. Spread apples evenly in pastry lined pan. Dot with butter pats. Top with remaining crust. After crimping and venting top of crust, brush with milk and sprinkle on the sugar and a little cinnamon , if desired. Bake in a 400^ degree oven for 10 minutes. Then turn down the oven to 350^ and continue baking for 30-35 minutes or until apples become juicy. When cool: drizzle with: --- Icing: 1 cup powdered sugar and 2 Tablespoons of milk mixed well. Cut into squares to serve with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.. This is the best darn pie crust ever. Very old.
• 2. finished pie.

CLASSIC APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Peel and core the apples; slice 1/4 inch thick. Transfer to a bowl and toss with the granulated sugar and lemon juice. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the flour, cinnamon and salt and stir until the juices thicken, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. (The filling can be made up to 2 days ahead; cover and refrigerate.)
• Roll out 1 disk of dough into a 12-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Ease into a 9-inch pie plate. Add the cooled filling and dot with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
• Roll out the remaining disk of dough into a 12-inch round. Lay the dough over the filling and press the two crusts together around the edges. Fold the overhanging dough under itself and crimp with your fingers. Brush the top crust with the beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Cut a few slits in the top crust to let steam escape. Chill 1 hour.
• Put a baking sheet on the bottom oven rack and preheat to 425 degrees F for at least 30 minutes. Put the pie directly on the hot baking sheet and reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F; bake until the pie is golden and the filling is bubbly, 1 hour to 1 hour, 10 minutes, rotating the pie as needed. (Cover the edges with foil if they are browning too quickly.) Transfer to a rack and let cool until the filling is set, about 3 hours.
• Pulse the flour, shortening, sugar, vinegar and salt in a food processor until it looks like fine meal. Add the butter and pulse until it is in pea-size pieces. Sprinkle in 1/4 cup ice water and pulse until the dough begins to come together. Pinch the dough with your fingers; if it doesn't hold together, add up to 4 more tablespoons ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse again.
• Divide the dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pat each into a disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or preferably overnight, or freeze up to 2 months.