6-8 medium sized tart apples, pared, cored and thinly sliced (I used 4 1/2 large per pie this time)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2-1 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pastry for 2-crust 9 inch pie
2 Tablespoons butter
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix sugars, flour and dry spices in a small bowl and set aside. Place apples in a large bowl and sprinkle with vanilla (if apples lack tartness use lemon juice instead or also). Toss the sugar mixture with the apples and set aside while preparing the pie crust.
After placing bottom crust in a 9 inch pie pan, stir and pour filling into the unbaked shell. Dot with butter then top with the other unbaked pie crust. Cut two slits in the center so steam can escape and you can see if it’s bubbling. Cut a few more slits around the edge of the pie in a pretty pattern (or do a lattice top like the first photo). Sprinkle a little water and then shake decorative sugar (large granules or regular sugar), this is optional.
Bake in a 400 degree oven for 50 minutes. Watch closely, if it starts to brown too quickly cover edges with foil, leaving center exposed and turn down the temperature to as low as 350 so that the filling cooks but crust doesn’t get too brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool a little before slicing. Serve with vanilla ice-cream of course.
This recipe was adapted from Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book (which was a wedding present 29 years ago, so it’s not really new). The original recipe called for white sugar only, a dash of nutmeg and no vanilla.
TJ Talks 