Autumn is pie weather – especially apple pie. The pick your own places are all open, and all kinds of varieties are showing up at the markets. Farmer markets have baskets full.
I like apple pie made with 2 or 3 different varieties combined. I think it add dimension to the flavor. I personally do not like pie made with harder apples, like Granny Smiths; I want the slices to melt down a little, so soft that you hardly have to chew. So I usually use species like Macintosh, Gala, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady or Cortlands. Use the apples you like eating.
Another big variation is the actual pie crust. I make a fairly traditional crust – flour, butter, lard, salt and water. If you want a sweeter crust use a Pate sucre recipe, with sugar in the dough. Cornmeal crusts go well with apples, as would a cheese or whole wheat pastry.
My filling goes like this:
Enough apples peeled and cored to fill a large bowl, probably 8-10 medium apples. Add in:
- 1/4 cup white or cane sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/3-1/2 cup tapioca powder (or flour, or cornstarch – anything to thicken all that juice from the apples)
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp salt
- lemon zest and lemon juice of 1 lemon
Roll out the pastry you have chosen for the bottom, and line the pie plate. Pour in the apples. Top with 2-3 tbsp of butter, then roll and cover with the top crust. Crimp edges together – use some water on the lower crust before pinching together to help the crimp seal well.
Bake about an hour at 350 F until the crust is browned lightly and the juices bubble.
Pie is easy! And most people love it. The local volunteer fire department gets 3-4 pies from me at their monthly meetings – to the point where I am now known as The Pie Lady!
