- By Marion Cardwell-Ferrer, Sincredible Pastries
- Around Town
One 9 inch double crust pie-serves 6-8
Pie crust
3 cups all purpose, unbleached flour
10 Tbls ( *frozen ) Crisco shortening-not butter flavor, which contains more water, and no other brand !
1 stick ( *frozen ) unsalted butter (cut into small chunks before freezing)
8-10 Tbls ( *ice water )
Topping-
One egg white beaten lightly
Granulated or coarse sugar
- Place the flour in a large bowl, or in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.
- Cut the frozen butter into the flour using two forks or a pastry blender, or use a food processor and pulse the processor until the mixture looks like a crumb topping ( or like small pea-sized bits) -DON’T overmix- it develops gluten or a tough and sticky dough
- Add the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time and toss with two forks ( don’t stir…forms gluten ) until the flour is coated. Continue until the water makes the dough raggedly hold together. Form into two balls . Flatten loosely into an eight inch circle, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for an hour to relax the dough.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface, moving the dough after each roll of the rolling pin. Using a pot lid that is 12 inches in diameter, trace the lid onto the top of the dough, and using a sharp knife or pastry wheel, cut the dough out. Place the dough in a nine inch pie plate
- ( glass is the BEST-makes a crispier crust!)
Proceed using filling directions
Queen’s Apple Pie Filling
8-10 cups peeled, cored and sliced apples, I like to use McCoun, McCintosh and yellow delicious in equal amounts, sliced about ¼ inch thick-slices should not be too thick
¾ cup granulated sugar-or to taste. Test for taste after all of the filling ingredients are used
2Tbls cornstarch
A squeeze of lemon juice ( ½ lemon)
Grated ring on one orange
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp. ginger
½ stick salted butter-softened, and cut into pieces
- Place sliced apples in a large bowl
- Combine the granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger and set aside
- Combine the orange zest and lemon juuce and pour over the apples. Toss until all of the apples are covered.
- Add the sugar and spice and toss again. Juice will start to form on the bottom of the bowl and this is a GOOD thing!
- Place an even layer of sliced apples in the bottom of the crust, filling in any spaces with smaller pieces of apples. Continue to layer remainder of apples until all of the apples are gone. Scrape ALL of the spiced juices over them.
- Dot the top with the butter evenly on the top.
- After you have brushed the bottom pie crust edge with egg white, place the second pie crust on top and crimp the edges. Brush the top with the beaten egg white and sprinkle with granulated or coarse sugar. Put several small slash marks on top of the pie * see pie crust
- Place in a pre-heated 360 degree oven for at least an hour, or until the juices bubble thickly from the crust. Place foil underneath to catch the drippings.
- The pie may take as long as one hour and a half in some ovens.
Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!
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