Apple pie...

[SierraCook]

I bought Granny Smith's this weekend to make a Dutch apple pie. It is one of my favorites. I am going to bring it to work on Monday to share with my coworkers.

[Goodweed of the North]

My claim to fame is my "World's Best Pancake" recipe. My youngest daughter's claim is her caramel-apple pie.

She takes the bottom crust, and before rolling it out, divides it into two portions. Then she rolls out each portion to fit the pan. She lays the first layer of bottom crust into the pan, then spreads caramel dip all over it. She then lays the second crust over the first. Next, she fills the crust with apple pie filling she has made on top of the stove, adding starch until the filling is just thick enough. This eliminates the guess work and allows her to season it just right with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and sweetener. The top crust is rolled and cut into strips for a lattice crust on top. she fills the areas between the lattice work with more caramel dip and bakes until the crust is perfect.

This pie has taken first place at every event it's been entered in. You have to understand that my daughter is literally at the top of her class, or next to the top, in virtually everything she does, from physiology, to math, to writing, to intuitive cooking. Her IQ is well into the genius range, as are the IQ's of her siblings, and parents (but she blows the rest of us away). The child is scary smart (18-year-old child who is somewhat headstrong and can act like a spoiled kid sometimes). But she is very good-natured and caring. She just still thinks the world revolves around her. And I lover her even more than her apple-pie. :D

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

[wasabi woman]

Originally Posted by Goodweed of the North

And I lover her even more than her apple-pie. :D

Wow, a three crust pie, what a great idea!
The closest thing to that I heard of was Mama Dipp's Old-Fashioned Stacked Double-crust Applesauce Pie; but what she did was to make two pies, when slide one over the top of the other. (apparently three works too!)
Does that inner crust get cooked good too?

also thought I would share the 2003 winner in the apple category in case you made everyone hungry with your description! and maybe your daughter would like to try the Streusel Topping sometime!

Caramel Apple Pie - 2003 1st Place Apple
Recipe courtesy Marles Riessland


Recipe Summary
Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour 8 minutes
Yield: 8 servings

Pie Crust:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter flavored shortening, chilled
1/3 cup ice water
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 egg, beaten

Filling:
6 cups apples (Jonathan or Granny Smith)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 tablespoons heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter

Streusel Topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon butter
2 toffee bars or 3 ounces chocolate covered peanut or pecan brittle


Pie Crust:
Chill all ingredients, including the flour and vinegar. Combine the flour, salt and sugar. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles cornmeal. In another bowl, mix water and vinegar with the beaten egg. Add the liquid mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, to the flour mixture, tossing with a fork to form a soft dough.

Filling:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Peel and slice apples. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl and add apples. Toss to mix. Add vanilla and cream. Melt butter in heavy skillet. Add apple mixture and cook approximately 8 minutes, to soften apples. Turn into pie shell.

Streusel Topping:
Combine the flour and sugar. Mix in butter with fork until coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over pie. Add top crust. Seal, flute edge and vent top. Brush with beaten egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake 45 minutes longer.

Good Luck!

[lyndalou]

Goodweed, you sound like a great Dad. I'll bet your family loves you a lot, too. :)

[debthecook]

All American Apple Pie


Apple pie has long been an American tradition especially around the holidays. This is a wonderful recipe which uses a lard based crust which is often not seen today. Lard creates a flakier and lighter crust than shortenings or butter. While we would not recommend using lard for everyday cooking, for the holidays if you can find it, use it.

Yield: 8 Servings

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
4 egg yolk
4 tablespoons lard/ fat
5 or more tablespoons sugar
Salt
1 beaten egg
6 or 7 large apples
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Grated rind 1 lemon
2 tablespoons peach or apricot jam
Ground cinnamon
1 cinnamon stick
A little confectioner’s sugar


1. Put the flour on a slab or pastry board. Make a well in the center and put in it the egg yolks, fat, 4 tablespoons sugar and a pinch of salt. Work center ingredients to a smooth paste; work the flour quickly. Roll out, not too thick, and line a shallow pie dish with half of dough. Trim off extra dough neatly and brush the edges with beaten egg.
2. Skin, core, and slice the apples thickly. Put in a pan with the lemon juice and grated lemon rind, the jam and 1 teaspoon sugar. Half cook the apples. Cool a little. Fill the lined pie shell. Sprinkle top with a little ground cinnamon. Stick in the top a small piece of cinnamon stick. Cover with remaining pastry and trim off neatly. Stick down edges with a pointed knife. Brush all over top with beaten egg and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake for 35-40 minutes in a moderate oven until golden brown on the top. Remove and cool. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve.



Recipe based on The Cordon Bleu Cook Book by Dione Lucas, copyright 1947.

Brought to you by allfood.

[amber]

I went apple picking this year and picked two varities, cortland and macintosh, both tart apples. They work great in pies, and I used them for an apple cake that I made today (recipe compliments of AllenMI). My favorite apple to eat is granny smith or cortland, love tart apples! Forgot to mention that AllenMI recipe is listed under "apple recipes" in this forum.

[AllenOK]

Thanks, Amber. How did you like the cake?

edited to add: Opps, didn't see the other thread. Thanks!

[middie]

i love gala apples. not good in a pie though

[Goodweed of the North]

I made a slight mistake in the preperation of my daughter's pie. She blind bakes the bottom crust as the filling is already cooked. The only thing left is to lay on the lattice-work top, fill in with caramel drops, and brown the top. The pie beocmes more elegant when the top crust is brushed with egg-wash and sprinkles with coarse sugar.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

[arlienb]

hi! i'm new to this forum, and i've always wanted to know what the difference is between cooking apples and baking apples. i've always used grannies for apple pies, because most recipes ask for them, but what happens if you use something else? is there an actual difference in taste/texture? thanks.