Sunday, February 6, 2011

The apple (pie) of my eye

I love the scent of apple pie baking in the oven, don’t you? I’ve been using the same recipe for the past 30 years and have tried others, but this one is for me. When I first made it, my boyfriend at the time (my now-husband) loved it and actually told his friends how good it was.

I have always put a heart in the center of the crust because I'm such a hopeless romantic. In fact, the one time I neglected what was to become my trademark for this pie, my boyfriend asked if I was mad at him. "Why?" I asked him. And he told me, "Because there's no heart in the pie."

There has always been a heart since then, because I loved that he said that.

My recipe comes from Farm Journal’s Country Cookbook (1959).

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I used my new Emile Henry pie dish.

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And forgot to put aluminum foil underneath because some of the juices dripped into the oven.

Ok. It was a lot of the juices. I’m such a klutz in the kitchen sometimes.

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But I love this pie.

Here’s the recipe, straight from my torn and tattered cookbook:

FAVORITE APPLE PIE
(A pie that lives up to its name – plain or caramelized. It’s one of our best.)
Pastry for 2-crust pie
6 large tart apples
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 Tbsp. butter
Peel and quarter apples into sauce (cut each quarter into about 4 slices). Add 1/4 c. cold water; simmer until tender, about 5 minutes. Cool.

Fill pastry-lined 9” pie pan with apples.

Combine remaining ingredients, except butter, sprinkle over apples; dot with butter. Moisten edges of undercrust.

Adjust top crust; cut 6 vents (cut like chevrons – 1 in each piece); flute edges.

Bake in very hot oven (450) 10 minutes; reduce heat to moderate (350) and bake 45 minutes longer. Makes 6 servings.

Variation --
CARAMEL APPLE PIE: Cover bottom pastry with 1/4 c. melted butter; spread evenly with 1/2 c. brown sugar, firmly packed, then sprinkle with 1/2 c. pecans. Follow above recipe, using only 1/4 c. brown sugar. This makes a luscious caramelized pie.

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: : :

I think it’s humorous that it says it only makes 6 servings, because I believe it makes a lot more. I use an old family secret recipe for the crust. At least, that's what I tell people when they ask me. It's actually boxed pie crust mix (either Betty Crocker or Jiffy) because it’s easier and it always comes out perfect. And believe it or not, I’ve never made the caramelized version. I may try that next time. Enjoy!

123 Signature

53 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

Yummy! Pie is my favorite dessert. I love the heart! Precious! I'd say it only makes 4 servings in my house - I like 'em sliced in qtrs. No messing around with pie...

Country Girl said...

That last photo? That was my lunch just now.

* burp *

Excuse me.

~ C.G.

Texwisgirl - seriously? Dang.

Mary Lou said...

I've never been able to make a good apple pie. I don't know why. I'm going to try your recipe and see how it goes, although, I think it is the baker. Yours looks yummy. Love the heart.

Tammy said...

that looks just so delicious!! i wanted to reach out with my finger and catch that apple sauce drip. Yummo!!

DesertHen said...

OH YUM!

Tiggeriffic said...

Going to a super bowl party today with my church over to Holly's house.. I'm going to make this apple pie..I love making pie. I used to make 5 pies every Friday for my family. on Monday they were gone.
I have a large circled pie cutter that has hearts all over it. It makes hearts on the top crust and then the hearts that were cut out I put them on the pie too.. It's just full of love~!
ta ta for now from Iowa

Jen at Cabin Fever said...

Lovely looking pie! This recipe intrigues me because I've never thought of simmer/cooking the apples prior to putting them in the pie. Hmm...

Cabin Fever in Vermont

BB said...

Oh no. Stop it already. It's 4am here and I cannot sleep and NOW I'm hungry.
*drool*
:-)
BB

Jill of All Trades said...

Oh yummy. Wish I wasn't on the "die"t right now or I would bake!

Hilary said...

Oh this is torture! I'm starving right now and your photos made my stomach growl AND I'm drooling. It looks SO delicious! Love the heart trademark and sentiments behind it.

Stickhorsecowgirls said...

Awww, now you've gone and made my mouth water and I have a hankering for this apple pie. Hubby has been begging me to make snickerdoodles today, but I bet this would satisfy him--especially with a heart!

Country Gal said...

I can smell it mmm yummy ! Looks and sounds wonderful. Awesome post and photos ! Have a warm and yummy day !

Christie - Fine Lines said...

OK, I have all the ingredients I need. Think I'll be makin' a pie before Super Bowl time (not that I am into football). But the thought of that smell in the house is just too inviting!!

Jeanne Walker said...

O.M.G. Now you've gone and done it! I am in a full blown diabetic coma just from looking at these pictures alone! I even gained five pounds just from reading the recipe! I am going to make me one of these this week...maybe two. One for me and one for my husband. While I'm shopping for the ingredients, I'll be buying a 1/2 gallon of Blue Bell Old Fashioned Vanilla ice cream! Heaven, here I come...figuratively and possibly literally!!!!!!!!!

Deb said...

I love the smell of apples baking....sounds really yummy....

mrs mediocrity said...

Oh my, that looks delicious. I might just have to break my only baking at Christmas rule and try it out!

Laura~peach~ said...

ok that totally makes me drool... really i had to scoot the computer away from me .. as the drool was passing my lips... THAT JUST LOOKS TOO GOOD!

forgetmenot said...

I'm going to go with the caramel apple pie--yum! Six servings sounds like a lot to me--in our family there would be "no" leftovers ever (and we don't have 6 people). Love the heart in the center-very sweet and sentimental.
I've got a great recipe for a crumb top apple pie that you might want to try sometime. Mickie

beth said...

makes my frozen key lime pie look like crap....i won't show my family your blog :)

Anonymous said...

This looks so good. Love the heart I always put little leaf shapes and then attach the shape to the pie crust in between the holes. Quite lovely. My favorite recipe comes from my mothers Joy of Cooking cookbook. It's always a winner. Thanks for sharing such a great looking pie with the rest of us, I'm sure you and your honey are full now.
peace n abundance,
CheyAnne

Kathryn Dyche said...

It looks delicious, I love that you add the heart to center, definitely made with love.

Donna S. said...

Now I want apple pie!!! Love the heart-I may have to steal that idea!!

A New England Life said...

Yum, yum, YUM! You reminded me that I have an unopened bag of cortlands just waiting to be baked. Hopefully I'll get to it tonight or tomorrow night!

Anonymous said...

Yummity Yummity Yum! I love apple pie but Hubs won't eat it... he's a cherry boy. At Thanksgiving we each get one! I have, by the way, NEVER made a homemade crust. Too much work. Your pie can come visit me if it wants to.

Di

spindrift,maine said...

You made the pie, Kate! Probably with that new pie plate, I'm thinking. The plate and the pie are gorgeous! I, too, wanted to slurp up that little drip where it tipped over. Your pie runneth over and all's right with the world. My friend KJ grew up on a farm in rural Maine. One Thanksgiving her mom couldn't make it to the dinner at the last minute, but she sent the pie she had promised. Everyone was marveling at her crust, and since Grandma Lucy was a farm wife from the 1940s on, they asked if she made it the old fashioned way, with lard. Her daughter just smiled, but whispered in my ear, "I think it is one of those Pillsbury ones from the supermarket". Turns out it was! Secret family recipe, too!

Deb said...

I can almost smell this yummy looking pie...but since I am not a pie baker...I usually cheat by burning two Yankee candles...one Macintosh Apple and the other French Vanilla!

Ellen said...

As Homer Simpson would say, "Ummm. Pie."

Unknown said...

Recipe shamelessly copied and pasted into my recipe file. My family will be drooling over one of these pies as soon as I can get to the grocery store for some apples!

Rhiana said...

Hi. I happened upon your blog in a very random way and absolutely love it. Your photos are AMAZING. They actually moved me and it seems from them that you have a very lovely life.

While I enjoy the photos of the pie and the piles of snow and the plants, George is by far my favourite. What a special animal.

Take care from Canada.

Karen thisoldhouse2.com said...

Mmmm...I can smell it from here. I never make my crusts from scratch either because honestly the store boughts are almost as good.

*love* the heart story.

wayne15575 said...

Thank you so much Kate. I love apple pie and I am going to attempt to make yours.
Have a great week.

GailO said...

I haven't made a pie in quite a while! This looks so yummy...I am pretty sure 6 servings are just about right!

Skogkjerring said...

Love Apple Pie, made it once for the Captain's family with cinnamon ice cream and they thought it was weird...Norwegians have so much to learn about PIE! I'll note this recipe- aren't tattered cook books the best?? Have a super Monday!!!

Anonymous said...

Oooh, I can't believe you've given your favourite recipe away!! The heart is a great trademark.

My dad used to love apple pie; with cream it was his favourite.

CJ xx

pie said...

This is my kids' favorite pie of all times, lol! They love it with thicker crust. They really love helping out in the kitchen when I'm making one. Of course they love the part where we make the pie crust and the part where they get to make cut outs from the pastry to cover our apple pie with. :)

Country Girl said...

I had 3 big pieces this weekend. I'm going to have to walk extra every day this week.

Welcome to new faces. Rhiana, I happen upon blogs that way all the time. Sometimes can't remember how I arrived. Nice to see you.

Thanks, everyone.

~ C.G.

Gail said...

I can smell it and almost taste it!

My aunt made the most marvelous apple pie...with Caro syrup, butter and who knows what else she dumped in. I have never been able to duplicate her recipe. I watched her many times as a child but guess I didn't get the important part.

Anonymous said...

It sure does look delicious. And that and Apricot are my favorites.

Unknown said...

It is beautiful Kate! I too love apple pie and have tried many different recipes. I look forward to trying yours! smiles...

homegrown countrygirl said...

My, my, what a pretty pie... and I love the heart tradition! Thanks for sharing your recipe!

Nurse Nancy said...

I LOVE pie...especially apple. I use Pillsbury already pie crust...used to make my own but my aunt, the best bakes I ever knew, told me she used Pillsbury and that was enough for me.

Dar said...

Oh, MY, Oh, Mercy! Who doesn't love apple pie. Your recipe has met the pages of my recipe book...thanks for sharing...love the love story that goes with.
BlessYourHeart

The JR said...

The heart story is heart-warming...

Luv your family secret pie crust recipe!

Kenny Soward said...

Looks amazing. Mouth is watering.

Daryl said...

Yum

Gone Country said...

Looks delish! I love to cook but I've never been able to get into baking. I just might have to give this recipe a try... Thanks!

Kerri Farley said...

Oh Yum! Apple Pie is my fave!

Joey said...

I may have to make a heart in the center of my pies from now on. I imagine that I am the queen of hearts! Love them! That pie looks soooo good. I am keeping this recipe! Thanks!!!

Mary said...

Oh man, now my mouth is watering... it's almost 1:00 am and no way will I find anything in this house to remotely approximate homemade apple pie...

Thanks so much! lol

Candis said...

Oh, that looks soooooo goooooood ... yum.

Bluebird49 said...

I promise to never copy your pictures to my hard drive---but recipes? Always up for grabs!

Lili said...

The heart story is wonderful Kate, just like that delicious pie. I have exactly that same pie dish, well not exactly, mine's in yellow and I think it's just the perfect depth for apple pies vs. my more shallow Monroe Saltworks one. xo ~Lili

Jan's camera said...

The photos are mouth-watering. Just wonderful! Love the heart.