Pats Appalachian Apple Pie From Scratch Recipes

Steps:

• Use about 1 teaspoon of the Crisco to grease a 9 or 10-inch pyrex (glass) pie pan.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• On a flat working surface, dust the area with 1/4 cup of the flour.
• In a large mixing bowl, pour in 3 cups of the flour (this leaves you with 1/4 cup of flour). Add the salt and mix it in with the flour. Add the remaining Crisco and the butter and work it with your hands until you get peas-sized "grainy" flour. Add 1/2 cup of water to the flour and blend it (with your hands or a fork) until it forms a good pie dough. Add any additional water a Tablespoon at a time if it is needed.
• NOTE: If the dough gets sticky, you've added too much water, just add a little more flour until the consistency is right.
• Next, cut the dough in half and make a fat pancake out of each with your hands. Place one hunk of dough back into the mixing bowl and place a slightly dampened towel down over it. Lay the second one on the floured working surface.
• Use a rolling pin to carefully roll out the dough, making it as much of a circle shape as possible. (Never roll back and forth -- I start from the center and carefully roll out to the edges mostly) Roll it out, dusting the top with a little of the remaining flour as needed to avoid it sticking to the rolling pin. (You can also wipe down and dust your rolling pin occasionally). When the dough is about 1/16" thick, it's done. Dust the top with a little flour and then carefully pull one side back and lay the dough on itself to form a half-moon. Dust the half that's now exposed, flip it over and lightly dust the second half.
• Lay the dough into the greased pie pan, still folded in half, and once it's in the pan, carefully unfold it to cover the entire plate. Carefully ease the dough into the pan without ever stretching it. Use a sharp paring knife or scissors to trim the dough around the pan, allowing about 3/4" to hang over the edge. After trimming, simply use the excess hanging dough by pulling it back up with your fingers and folding it along the top edge. This need not be neat, just roughly form an edge.
• Place the crust in the preheated oven and allow it to bake until the slightest bit of brown begins to show on the crust edge in one or two spots, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set the crust off to the side for awhile.
• Peel the apples, quarter them, and drop them into a bowl of water. Cut the lemon in two and squeeze all the juice into the water before dropping the peeled apples in (this keeps them from browning).
• Having a second bowl ready at hand for apple slices, cut the core portions from each apple quarter and slice up the remaining apple piece, I usually get about 4-5 slices from each quarter.
• When all the apple slices are in the second bowl, pour on the sugar, (reserving 1 teaspoon of it) cinnamon and allspice. You can add a couple dashes of salt if you wish.
• Mix with a spoon and allow it to sit for at least 10 minutes.
• Next, fill the baked pie crust with the apple slices, adding as much syrup from the bottom of the bowl as you like. Mound the apples up in the center of the pie to about 3/4- 1" above the pie pan edge.
• Make your pie crust top the same as you made the bottom and lay it carefully over the filling. Trim it, leaving about 3/4" extra "hangover". Pull the extra crust up and, as you did before, just roughly (carefully!) form it on to the existing edge. Don't worry about making it pretty. If it sticks out here and there, that's all the better.
• Next, add 1/2 teaspoon of water to your egg white and whisk with a fork in a bowl. Use a small brush or your fingers to rub the egg white on to the pie crust top, getting the edges as well. Once you have done this, sprinkle your remaining teaspoon of sugar over the top.
• Use a sharp knife to cut some air holes into the pie crust top. I cut an "A" into my apple pies, which works well to allow steam to escape.
• Bake the pie (same temperature, 400°.) for about 30 minutes. When it is golden brown on top, it's done.
• Allow the pie to rest for 30 minutes before slicing and serve with vanilla ice cream on the side.
• TIP: Some people like the gooey apple pie filling similar to the canned pie filling. If that's the way you like it, just allow your apples to sit for 1/2 an hour with the sugar and spices on them and a syrup will form. Pour this syrup into a saucepan and heat over medium heat. Dissolve 2 tablespoons of cornstarch into 1/3 cup of water and pour it into the apple syrup and bring to a boil, Whisk until it thickens and remove from heat. You can pour this back over your apples and then fill your pie with it. Personally, I don't care for it but life's not the same for everybody!).

Steps:

• In a medium-sized bowl, add the flour and salt. Mix with fork until combined.
• Add in cubed butter and break up into flour with a fork. Mixture will still have lumps about the size of small peas.
• Gradually add the ice water and continue to mix until the dough starts to come together. You may not need all of the water, but if the dough is too dry then add more. The dough should not be very tacky or sticky.
• Work the dough together with your hands and turn out onto a surface. Work into a ball and cover with cling wrap. Refrigerate.
• Peel the apples, then core and slice.
• In a bowl, add the sliced apples, sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and juice from the lemon.
• Mix until combined and all apples are coated. Refrigerate.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F (200°C).
• On a floured surface, cut the pie dough in half and roll out both halves until round and about ⅛-inch (3 mm) thick.
• Roll the dough around the rolling pin and unroll onto a pie dish making sure the dough reaches all edges. Trim extra if necessary.
• Pour in apple filling mixture and pat down.
• Roll the other half of the dough on top.
• Trim the extra dough from the edges and pinch the edges to create a crimp. Make sure edges are sealed together.
• Brush the pie with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the sugar.
• Cut four slits in the top of the pie to create a vent.
• Bake pie for 50-60 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and no greyish or undercooked pastry remains.
• Allow to cool completely before slicing.
• Top with ice cream and serve.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Peel and core the apples; slice 1/4 inch thick. Transfer to a bowl and toss with the granulated sugar and lemon juice. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the flour, cinnamon and salt and stir until the juices thicken, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. (The filling can be made up to 2 days ahead; cover and refrigerate.)
• Roll out 1 disk of dough into a 12-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Ease into a 9-inch pie plate. Add the cooled filling and dot with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
• Roll out the remaining disk of dough into a 12-inch round. Lay the dough over the filling and press the two crusts together around the edges. Fold the overhanging dough under itself and crimp with your fingers. Brush the top crust with the beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Cut a few slits in the top crust to let steam escape. Chill 1 hour.
• Put a baking sheet on the bottom oven rack and preheat to 425 degrees F for at least 30 minutes. Put the pie directly on the hot baking sheet and reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F; bake until the pie is golden and the filling is bubbly, 1 hour to 1 hour, 10 minutes, rotating the pie as needed. (Cover the edges with foil if they are browning too quickly.) Transfer to a rack and let cool until the filling is set, about 3 hours.
• Pulse the flour, shortening, sugar, vinegar and salt in a food processor until it looks like fine meal. Add the butter and pulse until it is in pea-size pieces. Sprinkle in 1/4 cup ice water and pulse until the dough begins to come together. Pinch the dough with your fingers; if it doesn't hold together, add up to 4 more tablespoons ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse again.
• Divide the dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pat each into a disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or preferably overnight, or freeze up to 2 months.

Steps:

• Make the dough by hand. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Using your fingers, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles yellow corn meal mixed with bean sized bits of butter. (If the flour/butter mixture gets warm, refrigerate it for 10 minutes before proceeding.) Add the egg and stir the dough together with a fork or by hand in the bowl. If the dough is dry, sprinkle up to a tablespoon more of cold water over the mixture.
• Make the dough in a food processor. With the machine fitted with the metal blade, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt until combined. Add the butter and pulse until it resembles yellow corn meal mixed with bean size bits of butter, about 10 times. Add the egg and pulse 1 to 2 times; don't let the dough form into a ball in the machine. (If the dough is very dry add up to a tablespoon more of cold water.) Remove the bowl from the machine, remove the blade, and bring the dough together by hand.
• Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour.
• Make the filling. Put the lemon juice in a medium bowl. Peel, halve, and core the apples. Cut each half into 4 wedges. Toss the apple with the lemon juice. Add the sugar and toss to combine evenly.
• In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the apples, and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to simmer, about 2 minutes. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until the apples soften and release most of their juices, about 7 minutes.
• Strain the apples in a colander over a medium bowl to catch all the juice. Shake the colander to get as much liquid as possible. Return the juices to the skillet, and simmer over medium heat until thickened and lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, toss the apples with the reduced juice and spices. Set aside to cool completely. (This filling can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated or frozen for up to 6 months.)
• Cut the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll each half of dough into a disc about 11 to 12 inches wide. Layer the dough between pieces of parchment or wax paper on a baking sheet, and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes.
• Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Line the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan with one of the discs of dough, and trim it so it lays about 1/2 inch beyond the edge of the pan. Put the apple filling in the pan and mound it slightly in the center. Brush the top edges of the dough with the egg. Place the second disc of dough over the top. Fold the top layer of dough under the edge of the bottom layer and press the edges together to form a seal. Flute the edge as desired. Brush the surface of the dough with egg and then sprinkle with sugar. Pierce the top of the dough in several places to allow steam to escape while baking. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
• Bake the pie on a baking sheet until the crust is golden, about 50 minutes. Cool on a rack before serving. The pie keeps well at room temperature (covered) for 24 hours, or refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Steps:

• In medium bowl, mix 2 cups flour and 1 teaspoon salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
• Gather pastry into a ball. Divide in half; shape into 2 flattened rounds on lightly floured surface. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable. This allows the shortening to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry more flaky. If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly before rolling.
• Heat oven to 425°F. With floured rolling pin, roll one pastry round into round 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch glass pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side.
• In large bowl, mix sugar, 1/4 cup flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Stir in apples. Spoon into pastry-lined pie plate. Dot with butter. Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1/2 inch from rim of plate.
• Roll other round of pastry. Fold into fourths and cut slits so steam can escape. Unfold top pastry over filling; trim overhanging edge 1 inch from rim of plate. Fold and roll top edge under lower edge, pressing on rim to seal; flute as desired. Cover edge with 3-inch strip of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning. Remove foil during last 15 minutes of baking.
• Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust. Serve warm if desired.