Homemade Apple Pie

There's something wonderfully comforting about a homemade Apple Pie that just always makes me feel good.  Not only does the smell of it hypnotize me into a feeding stupor, but the taste is that of home.  Usually I equate Apple Pies with Thanksgiving....but the other day I decided that it's such a great dish it should be enjoyed more than just once a year.  As any reader of FoodSAZm already knows, I don't believe in doing anything unless it's completely from scratch (something my mom instilled in me at a very young age).  So this Apple Pie is COMPLETELY from scratch...pie crust and all!  So let's get started on the crust.....

Apple Pie Crust

2 sticks of Unsalted Butter

2 1/2 cups Flour

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Sugar

6-8 tbsp water

 > In a Cuisinart, mix your butter, flour, salt and sugar together until it gets to the consistency of breadcrumbs.  *Note: use the dough blade in your Cuisinart.

> Then slowly, one tablespoon at a time, add in your water until the mixture becomes more like a dough (usually for me, this takes only 6 tablespoons of water).  Remove from the Cuisinart, and divide into 2 equal mounds of dough.  Let them sit while you make the apple pie filling. *Note: some recipes tell you to cover the dough and refrigerate for at least an hour, but I've found when I do that, the dough becomes crumbly and hard to work with in the later steps...

Apple Pie Filling

4 Granny Smith Apples (4 cups of apples)
1 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tbsp Lemon Juice (about 1/2 a lemon)

 > Peel and cut your apples into small inch big cubes.  I used 3 Granny Smith apples and 1 Red Delicious apple because that's what I happened to have, but usually I would recommend all Granny Smiths.

 > In your bowl of chopped up apples, add your sugar, salt, cinnamon and lemon juice.  Mix very well so that every apple chunk is coated evenly.

 > Now comes the semi-tricky part; the assembly.  If you're not used to working with dough this may be the first and last time you make a pastry dough from scratch... but if I can do it, you can too!  Grease a 9 1/2 inch pie pan.  This pie pan showed below was my mom's and actually has this apple pie recipe written on it - love it :)

 > Roll out your first mound of dough so that it's roughly the size of the pan.  This is the tricky part because this dough has a tendency to stick to both the roller and the surface you're rolling it on.  Just be patient with it!  I will fully disclose that the first time I made this pie I got so frustrated that I started to cry into the dough....don't judge.

 > Add in your Apple Pie filling - holy yummyness!

 > Roll out your second mound of crust and carefully place it on top of the Apple Pie filling.

 > Since my pie edges are usually a complete mess (as you can see above) I go around the whole pie and try to even out the crust with my fingers (it totally brings you back to arts and crafts with Play Doh).  Then with a floured fork (flour is used so the fork doesn't stick), impress the fork design around the whole perimeter of the crust.  This next step is EXTREMELY important....with a knife, gently cut 3 slits into the top of the crust.  This is so that the heat/steam can escape the pie while it's baking.

 > Bake in a preheated oven at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, then drop the temperature down to 350 and finish the cooking for another 30 minutes.

 You can serve this with whipped cream, a-la-mode or just by itself!

The great thing about this pie is it can feed a huge amount of people, it's delicious, it makes your house smell like heaven, and most of the ingredients you probably already have just laying around your house! Not to mention, there's something so satisfying about making an entire pie from scratch! :) ENJOY!