Classic is sometimes that for a reason.
Jan. 14th, 2019 07:57 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madbakerThis week's Resolution Recipe: Fairly Basic Apple Pie.
1 9" double crust
4 cups firm, tart, apples, pared and sliced (I used 5 medium, and could possibly have fit another in)
1 Tbsp flour
3/4 cup sugar
juice and grated rind of half a lemon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon (I used half true and half cassia, and made them heaping)
2 Tbsp butter
Heat oven to 450. Roll out bottom crust.
Place the sliced apples in the pie shell so they are slightly mounded in the middle. Sprinkle the lemon juice over them. Mix the flour and spices with the sugar, and sprinkle over the fruit. Place the butter in dots on the top.
Cover with the top crust and bake for 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350 and bake for another 15 minutes.
What worked: It was a decent apple pie. Not too sweet, helped by the lemon juice and zest. I couldn't be arsed to assemble the way they did; I sprinkled the lemon juice over the apples in a bowl, mixed the zest and dry goods together, and tossed the apples in it. I don't think that made a difference and it was much easier.
After the 30 minutes, I turned the broiler on for about 90 seconds, after brushing the top crust with a mixture of butter and rose-water, along with a bit of turbinado sugar to provide crunch. That gave it nice color and a more interesting top.
What didn't: not this recipe's fault, but I had pie crust failure (ETA: when rolling it out before filling). I had to throw it out and make a new one. This is not a request for your pie crust recipe "that always works". The crust wasn't fully baked after 30 minutes (see above) and looked fairly rustic rather than polished.
The apple sellers at the farmers' market don't grow enough cooking apples to sell them during the winter and spring. I had to buy Granny Smiths at the commercial market, which are fine - but I really prefer using heritage cooking breeds.
Will I make it again? It's a perfectly serviceable apple pie recipe that would also work with berries.
1 9" double crust
4 cups firm, tart, apples, pared and sliced (I used 5 medium, and could possibly have fit another in)
1 Tbsp flour
3/4 cup sugar
juice and grated rind of half a lemon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon (I used half true and half cassia, and made them heaping)
2 Tbsp butter
Heat oven to 450. Roll out bottom crust.
Place the sliced apples in the pie shell so they are slightly mounded in the middle. Sprinkle the lemon juice over them. Mix the flour and spices with the sugar, and sprinkle over the fruit. Place the butter in dots on the top.
Cover with the top crust and bake for 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350 and bake for another 15 minutes.
What worked: It was a decent apple pie. Not too sweet, helped by the lemon juice and zest. I couldn't be arsed to assemble the way they did; I sprinkled the lemon juice over the apples in a bowl, mixed the zest and dry goods together, and tossed the apples in it. I don't think that made a difference and it was much easier.
After the 30 minutes, I turned the broiler on for about 90 seconds, after brushing the top crust with a mixture of butter and rose-water, along with a bit of turbinado sugar to provide crunch. That gave it nice color and a more interesting top.
What didn't: not this recipe's fault, but I had pie crust failure (ETA: when rolling it out before filling). I had to throw it out and make a new one. This is not a request for your pie crust recipe "that always works". The crust wasn't fully baked after 30 minutes (see above) and looked fairly rustic rather than polished.
The apple sellers at the farmers' market don't grow enough cooking apples to sell them during the winter and spring. I had to buy Granny Smiths at the commercial market, which are fine - but I really prefer using heritage cooking breeds.
Will I make it again? It's a perfectly serviceable apple pie recipe that would also work with berries.
no subject
Date: 2019-01-14 11:41 pm (UTC)The apple pie recipe I got from my aunt is quite similar to this one, only it has lots more apples, so that they are mounded as high as possible without new slices sliding off the pie, and then an extra large top crust is carefully draped over it "like a tent", before trimming and pinching shut the seam between top and bottom (hers also uses more sugar, but the total ratio of sugar to apple might be the same). I have always figured that the starting at 450 step was just to get the crust to solidify enough to keep the pretty story-book domed crust nicely domed, and the turning down to 350 was to keep anything from burning as the apples finished cooking down (they always do cook down to about the level of the top of the pie plate). This approach always lead me to a properly cooked crust at the end of the full session. However, I just looked up at your cooking times, and then went to look at the old hand-written letter from my aunt with her recipe, and her's says 1/2 hour at 450, and then 1/2 hour to 3/4 of an hour at 350, until the crust is golden brown. No wonder I have never felt the need to use the broiler when I make it...
no subject
Date: 2019-01-15 05:27 am (UTC)I'd be crying over the lost time from throwing away somethign that didn't work. (As you know, time is my most precious resource).
Not that I need any pointers about pie crust because I never anticipate making one. I've heard they are finicky and I once watched a friend overwork the dough until it was gooey. I'm a pre-made pie crust gal because I have no illusions about where my strengths are. But I am curious to understand what you meant.
But now I'm craving apple pie. mmmm.....
no subject
Date: 2019-01-15 02:56 pm (UTC)