I have a confession to make: I am 39 years old and have never baked an apple pie from scratch...until today. What possessed me? Probably all those free apples just sitting out there in the orchard. I've always been intimidated by the thought of making my own pie crust. Sure I'll make a pie if I have refrigerated pie crust on hand. But I didn't have any today. What I did have was about 10 pounds of those darn apples just sitting there on the counter staring me in the face. I used half of them to make another batch of Crock Pot Applesauce. I couldn't just throw the rest of them to the chooks--after all, these were good quality apples! So I bit the proverbial bullet and got out my trusty Betty Crocker cookbook to find a pie crust recipe.The directions for deep dish apple pie seemed simple enough. And wouldn't you know it, I had just the right number of apples left after making the applesauce! I enlisted the help of Derek to peel them while I set about making my first pie crust. You know what? It was really easy and it didn't require cooking skills to rival Martha Stewart's! The process was so simple that I won't be intimidated by pie crusts anymore. Here's how the final product looked. I made the cutouts using the apple corer and a paring knife. That lovely yellow pie pan was my grandmother's. It was just the right size for a deep dish pie.
I peeled and cored so many apples today that I had enough scraps for the chickens and the ducks. During dinner I glanced out the glass doors and noticed a very small, cute female wild mallard swimming with our gang of ducks. They seemed to be enjoying each other's company and neither party was hostile toward the other. It was fun to watch them staring at each other as if to say, "Boy, don't you look different!"
After all the work in the kitchen today I am definitely ready to put my feet up and relax. It smells wonderful in the house. The applesauce is cooling and when it's ready I'll put it in the freezer. Jim isn't a big fan of applesauce but after two helpings of mine tonight he ordered me to make more! It feels good to have made so many homemade goodies today, but I am beat!
Well that has to be the prettiest pie i have seen in a long time! I swear i can smell all that good apple cooking all the way over here in Upstate New York! (I plan to make an apple and cheddar cheese pie tomorrow) um ummmm
ReplyDeletePS- I didn't know you could freeze applesauce???
Beautiful Pie, you did a wonderful job, you should be very proud of learning such a great skill. I am very impressed, can I have a piece of pie????? haha!!
ReplyDeleteChris
What a pretty pie! Yum,Yum What time is supper? There is nothing quite as nice as the smell of hot apple pie with cinnamon. OH #$%^& I just drooled on my keyboard. :-)
ReplyDeleteApple pie is my favorite! And that one looks like a winner, Amy! I'm drooling as well. Making pie crust isn't any harder than making biscuits, is it? Boy, you'll want to save some of those apples so you can make a couple of pies for the Thanksgiving feast. We also like Dutch apple pie--even easier than two-crust pie. Did you know that apple pie makes a great breakfast? That's my favorite time to eat it. Yum-my!
ReplyDeleteThat is not only a beautiful pie, but an excellent and artistic photo as well. Thanks for sharing and making all of us think about getting out the peeler and the flour, (can you loan us a Derek? He sounds like a true renaissance man.)
ReplyDeleteMare, I've never had apple and cheddar cheese pie! I didn't know there was such a thing. My grandma used to can and freeze. Applesauce was one of the things she'd put in the freezer.
ReplyDeleteChris, you know what this means right? Now I can make my own chicken pot pies using my own chickens!
Jacobs Farm, I agree, nothing beats apple pie! If only I'd had some vanilla ice cream to go with it.
Susan, I tried making biscuits last weekend and they were little hockey pucks when they came out of the oven. I kneaded too much. I've always been intimidated by yeast breads or anything involving a rolling pin and a floured counter. Yesterday I used a drinking glass as a rolling pin for my crust. It worked great! (No, I don't own a rolling pin). Apple pie for breakfast sounds great!
Don, yes you can borrow a Derek. I'm sure he'd love spending a day with you and Ruth. He probably wouldn't want to come home! Derek can be helpful after some minimum arm-twisting. But once he's involved he gets into it.
Looks pretty good for a first. I too have avoided the homemade crust but Children in the corn posted one I must try.
ReplyDeleteHi Amy...about the apple and cheddar cheese pie-i made it up one day and it turned out good! Sometimes i shred the cheese up and sprinkle it on top of the apple mixture before putting the top crust on...sometimes i put it on the bottom crust before the apples go in, and sometimes i mix it in the apple mixture. It gives the pie a little bit of a tangy flavor and if you use enough it cuts some of the sweetness...Most of the time i use it sparingly...
ReplyDeleteAmy, when you make biscuits you want to use a very light hand. Don't think kneading so much as turning and folding, about 5 times and then turn the dough over so the seam is down. Is your baking powder fresh? Also, bake them in a hot oven--450 degrees. I never use a rolling pin for biscuits, just pat them out with your hand to about 3/4 inch thickness, and don't twist when you cut them. Cut straight down and always dip the edge of your cutter in flour between cuts. If I think of any more tips, I'll email you.
ReplyDeleteMy friend Judy is from S.Dakota and she loves a nice slice of sharp cheddar slightly melted on top of her apple pie.
Well I must say for a first time that is one damn fine looking pie! I can add myself to the ranks of the drooling commenters! I've made homemade apple pies in the past but it's been a LONG time. I'm almost inspired to try it again!:)
ReplyDeleteAdd me too...that pic made me hungry! its beautiful Amy!!!! Thanks for the reply on the applesauce...gonna try it out very very soon! yuuuummmm by the way, I dont use a rolling pin either, a glass works great and easy to hold..I was intmidated my first time with biscuits but after I made them I was surprised at how easy they were!
ReplyDeleteWow! I am so impressed with you, Amy!! Homemade apple pies always intimidated me... but it looks like you aced it on your very first try!!
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