As Hungry Girls we're about more than just eating out and tasting cheese. We make all our own food as much as we can and we're even tossing around the idea of a Local Food Challenge for next summer. Every week I make Southern Sausage Stew, a recipie I picked up from the Naked Chef's American cookbook. Brats, peppers, and stock, what could be better? Barely anything, as it turns out. I've been making that same recipie every week for almost 5-6 months combined, some in the spring, some this fall. But I'm the sort of person who doesn't need to switch around their food often.
So, seeing as how apple season was about to pass us by (Most of WI's apple crop didn't do so well this year, thanks to the drought), we saddled on up to the grocer's to gather some apple pie ingredients! My Dad taught me how to bake, and a great deal was learned from mistakes made in college. I never spent as much time in the kitchen with my Dad as I ought to have, but it turns out I've got the hidden Baking Gene from Dad's side of the family, so it all evens out in the end. Bread rises for me, pie crusts don't tear, and I've got the Sense for when dough is ready (pastry of bread). The following is the recipie Dad recieved from his mother, Nana.
Any changes or additions that I've made since will be in red, while everything copied from Dad's document will be in green. Here goes:
FROM THE KITCHEN OF ROGER SIMMONS
Double Pie Crust
INGREDIENTS:
SOURCE: My mother gave me this recipe in the mid-80’s
as the base for apple pie or a quiche. I
believe that this recipe came out of a Betty Crocker cookbook from the 1950’s.
Easy, right? Of course, now on to the pie part! Tasting is encouraged!
FROM THE KITCHEN OF ROGER SIMMONS
Apple Pie
DIRECTIONS:
2. Remove one pie
dough package from the refrigerator.
Using a well floured board, roller and hands roll out the pie dough to
cover the well of a 10” pie plate with approximately 1” hanging over on all
sides. Set aside.
SOURCE: My mother gave me this recipe in the mid-80’s. It is a plain and delicious recipe that has
always been praised. Using butter to
make the crust gives it extra flavor.
And now you know how to make pie, have fun!
xoxoxo
~Kim
So, seeing as how apple season was about to pass us by (Most of WI's apple crop didn't do so well this year, thanks to the drought), we saddled on up to the grocer's to gather some apple pie ingredients! My Dad taught me how to bake, and a great deal was learned from mistakes made in college. I never spent as much time in the kitchen with my Dad as I ought to have, but it turns out I've got the hidden Baking Gene from Dad's side of the family, so it all evens out in the end. Bread rises for me, pie crusts don't tear, and I've got the Sense for when dough is ready (pastry of bread). The following is the recipie Dad recieved from his mother, Nana.
Any changes or additions that I've made since will be in red, while everything copied from Dad's document will be in green. Here goes:
|
One double pie crust for a 10” pie top and bottom
Preparation Time: 15 minutes, one hour overall
|
Double Pie Crust
|
ITEM
|
QTY
|
MEASURE
|
|
Water (or skim
milk)
|
5
|
Tablespoons
|
|
Butter (or lard,
Crisco, margarine)
|
1/2
|
Cup
|
|
Salt
|
1/2
|
Teaspoon
|
|
Flour
|
1-1/2
|
Cups
|
DIRECTIONS:
1. Mix flour and salt
together.
2. Cut in the
fat. There are several ways to do
this. The easiest is to mix this in a
food processor with the steel knives after you have sliced the butter into pats
and distributed it throughout the flour salt mix. Alternatively you can use a pastry cutter. Or if you have neither of these you can use
two sharp knives working against each other.
At the end of the cutting in process the flour/fat mixture should have
the consistency of corn meal. I do this with my hands.
3. Add the liquid to
the flour/fat mixture. If mixing by hand
make a well in the flour and add exactly the amount of liquid and mix well with
a fork. If using a food processor switch
to the mixing knives (usually a blunter plastic set) and add the liquid and
then pulse just enough to combine. A fork works just as well.
4. Divide the amount
of dough in half. Shape each half into a
disk and then refrigerate the dough, covered in plastic wrap for one to two
hours until chilled and firm. You can
then:
a. Proceed to the appropriate recipe.
b. Freeze.
2-5 hours is best, that way you can get the dough literally paper-thin and it won't tear. It may crack around the edges as it gets dry, though, so don't leave it too long. I wrap them in plastic while I go out & run errands. The dough is good to nibble on, too.Easy, right? Of course, now on to the pie part! Tasting is encouraged!
|
One 10’ double crust Apple Pie
Preparation Time: 30 minutes, 90 minutes overall
|
INGREDIENTS:
|
ITEM
|
QTY
|
MEASURE
|
|
Pie Crust (double)
|
1
|
|
|
Apples (Large)
(Cored, peeled and sliced)
|
7 - 8
|
|
|
Salt
|
1
|
Dash
|
|
Flour
|
1
|
Tablespoon
|
|
Sugar
|
1
|
Cup
|
|
Cinnamon
|
1
|
Teaspoon
|
|
Nutmeg
|
¼
|
Teaspoon
|
|
|
|
|
1. Rinse apples and
then peel, slice and core them into a large mixing bowl. I traditionally use Cortland Apples for this
recipe as they get soft but not totally mushy like Macintosh nor will they
still be crunchy like a Granny Smith.
Feel free to experiment. My theory on this is the tart-to-sweet ratio/content. The more tart the apple, the more likely its chemistry will keep it stiff and crunchy, the more sweet the apple, the more likely the chemistry in it will turn it to sugary mush. I experienced the mushyness this year with the Braeburn (I think) apples we chose. It looks like Cortland are a New England-centric variety, so I encourage you to ask your grocer/local apple-picking stand how to get the perfect consistency. Of course, picking them yourself is always best, and fun outing while the dough is setting in the fridge. :)
3. Mix dry
ingredients together and then dump over the apples. Mix well with a large spoon. Place the apple mix into the pie plan gently
so as not to tear the pie dough. Pile
higher in the center. Set aside. Taste this. Give everyone you know a taste. DO IT.
4. Remove the other
pie dough package from the refrigerator.
Using a well floured board, roller and hands roll out the pie dough to
cover the pie plate and apples with approximately 1” hanging over on all sides. Working carefully drape the pie dough over
the pie plate and apples.
5. Trim the pie dough
even with the edge of the pie plate. Work around the edge of the pie plate
pinching the edges together. Cut several
vents in the center of the pie crust.
Bake at 400 degree F for 50 minutes.
To prevent the juices from over flowing onto the bottom of the oven
place a baking pan underneath the pie plate. My pinching technique still sucks. But if you manage to get a very thin crust by leaving your dough in 2-5 hours or longer, DO NOT leave your pie in for the 50 minutes, the crust will be too thin and it will BURN. Make sure that after 30 minutes you are checking the pie frequently.
And now you know how to make pie, have fun!
xoxoxo
~Kim
