My apple pie is spectacular! But I cannot take ownership of it. My mom made this pie for almost 50 years. But even she can’t take ownership of it, because it came out of the Betty Crocker pie recipe book that I am guessing she got as a wedding shower gift in 1956.
This has been a family favorite for years – and I mean a serious favorite. Once my parents retired and moved to Pennsylvania, they would buy a bushel of apples and my mom and dad would make these pies together. Dad would peel, core, and slice the apples with the precision of a surgeon, and Mom would mix together the ingredients for the pie as well as make all of the crusts from scratch. Then she would freeze the pies before they were baked. Before vacuum-sealing machines, she would stick a straw in a Ziploc bag and suck the air out – pure ingenuity. They typically made about 10 to 15 pies any given season. They would take them out of the freezer and let them defrost a little, then pop them in the oven. The result? Always a spectacularly delicious fresh apple pie that filled the house with the most incredible aroma.
My mom passed away in 2003 and I was starting to become the family pie maker at that point. I knew that I had to take over this role – it was my honor and my responsibility. My dad would come to my house and we would go through the exact same process that my mom and dad did. My dad eventually met a woman named Shirley, who my children knew as Grandma, who also helped us make these pies; it was a true family affair! Then the pies went in the freezer and because I am a type-A personality, they all got numbered and we would spend the year eating delicious apple pie and sharing the love with family and friends.
Now, I don’t make apple pies as often, but if you’re lucky enough to be staying at the Williams House after I’ve made an apple pie, then you are in for a treat that spans generations.
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients:
Pie Crust (top and bottom):
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1¾ cup vegetable shortening
- 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. vinegar
- ½ cups water
- 1 egg
Filling:
- 7–8 tart apples (Cortland or Granny Smith work best), pared, cored and thinly sliced (about 6 cups)
- ¾–1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- A pinch of nutmeg & salt
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
Directions:
Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F
- Prepare the pie crust first by using a fork to mix the flour, shortening, sugar, and salt in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, beat the vinegar, egg, and water until combined.
- Combine two mixtures together, stirring with a fork until all ingredients are moistened.
- Then, with floured hands, mold the mixture into a ball. Wrap in cling film and chill for 15 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Remove from the refrigerator, and cut in half. Put half back in the refrigerator and use the remaining half to roll out the bottom crust for your pie.
- Grease and flour the pie plate before you lay the bottom crust into the pie plate. Make the filling as noted below, then roll out the top crust and add to the top of the pie.
Filling:
- Combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a small bowl then combine with sliced apples and gently toss to cover apples with mixture.
- Add the apples to the previously prepared pie crust and place sliced butter on top.
- Roll out the second half of your pie crust. Cover the top of the apple pie with the second crust.
- Make sure you pinch the edges of the top and bottom of the pie crusts together.
- Sprinkle the top with white sugar. Use foil or an aluminum pie crust cover to protect the edges.
- Bake the pie for 15 minutes covered with aluminum foil.
- Remove the foil or aluminum cover and bake for another 45 minutes.
Some notes for this recipe:
- Don’t sweat pie crusts. They can be hard and frustrating. There are plenty of good ones you can purchase in the dairy section of your grocery store. However, if you truly want to make one from scratch you need to practice. This is the best recipe I have ever found.
- Here’s the magic…you can assemble this entire pie and slide it into a Ziploc bag uncooked. Suck the air out of it. When you are in the mood for homemade apple pie, take it out of the freezer, let it defrost for a few minutes and bake it with the same instructions. It’s perfect.
- Depending on where you live and what is available, use a variety of apples. I like Cortland and Granny Smith. Don’t use Red Delicious or Macintosh – they will get mushy as they bake. If you have an apple/ peeler/corer/slicer machine that is the perfect tool for making apple pie. If not, just peel them by hand.
