One of the reasons for stopping at the Union Orchard on our way home was to buy the girls a caramel apple. Once I was there, though, I really thought an apple pie sounded good. So, I went to the frozen section of the store and decided that spending $13 for a frozen pie was a little outrageous. Sometimes convenience is a good thing but not this time. Instead, I bought some of their #2 grade apples (with slight damage) at $.69 lb. I had a box of ready-made pie crust in the freezer and opted to put my own apple pie together.
I used to make my pie dough from scratch but after going to all the work of making a pie from scratch and then making the next one with the convenient crust and hearing Jim say he liked the second one better I thought, “well, hey, why go to all the work of making dough when he likes the ready-made one better”. So, I’ve been buying the cheap pie crusts from the dairy freezer ever since. One box equals one pie (top and bottom crusts) and I buy the cheap brand.
A couple more tips: Use a vegetable peeler to peel the apple. It works so much better than a knife and saves the fruit from being thrown away.
When putting the top and bottom crusts together, dampen the edge of the bottom crust before putting the top crust on. After the top is in place, work your way around the pie and pinch the two together before crimping the edge. My grandma gave me that tip.
Here’s my apple pie recipe – simple and GREAT!
6 cups sliced apples 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup white sugar 1 Tablespoon margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
a pinch of nutmeg
1 Tablespoon cornstarch (maybe just a little more than a tablespoon)
Mix dry ingredients and toss with fruit. Add lemon juice and dot with margarine. Brush top crust with milk and sprinkle cinnamon/sugar on top. Bake at 425 degrees for 50 – 60 minutes.