Apple filling
7-8 medium apples (Mom always recommends a mix of McIntosh and fuji)
4 big TBSP flour
1 cup sugar
2 TBSP lemon juice
1 TBSP cinnamon
Peel and core apples, then slice into thin slices (1/4 to 1/2 inch thick). Put into a large bowl with all the other ingredients. Toss until all are evenly coated and set aside.
Crust
In a large bowl:
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter flavored Crisco (yes, it must be crisco. Yes, it must be butter flavored)
Mix flour and salt together briefly with a fork. Use a pastry cutter to cut shortening into the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Set aside
In a small bowl, put 1/2 cup flour. In a glass measuring cup, put one egg and an ice cube. Add enough water to total 1/2 cup. Mix egg, water, and ice cube with a fork for 10 to 15 seconds (that's an estimate, just mix it until it's combined). Discard the ice cube and pour the egg/water mixture into the small bowl with the flour. Mix until it makes a runny paste.
Add paste to the large bowl and mix with a fork until all combined and slightly sticky. From this point forward, handle/touch the pastry as little as possible. Divide the dough into two even clumps.
Roll one half out into a circle using a heavily floured surface and lots of flour on the rolling pin. Place into the bottom of the pie plate. Add the apples; you can try to make them sit down into the shell as much as possible, but they will stack high. But that's okay because apples cook down A LOT. Roll out the other half of the dough and place on top of the apples. Cut the excess crust off and crimp the edges. Cut a few slits on top to vent. You can also brush with an egg wash for a crisp top. You can also dust with cinnamon and sugar. You can do both together too!
Put pie on a cookie sheet to keep drippings from messing up the oven. Bake in 375 oven for one hour.
My apple pie recipe is almost the same---however, I make my crust without the egg. I've had Jeri's and it's great, but if you want to make a good crust without egg, here goes:
ReplyDelete2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butter-flavored Crisco
Mix together with a pastry cutter, two knives, or with your hands until the Crisco is the size of peas.
Then add:
1/4 cup ice cold water
Toss the dough lightly with a fork until the moisture is combined.
My other trick that I've developed over the years is this:
I cut up all the apples, add the sugar, flour, and cinnamon and lemon juice if the apples aren't tart enough (I like to use a mixture of Fuji, Jonagold, Gala, Granny Smith...depending on what is available) and place the apple mixture in a microwave safe glass casserole dish with a lid. I microwave the contents for about five minutes, stir it, and microwave for 2-3 more minutes. I then put the partially cooked apple mixture into the pie shell and cover with the top pie crust. Then I bake for 30-40 minutes at 375 degrees. The crust doesn't get as dark and it's easier to fit lots of apples into the pie when they're pre-cooked a little bit.
Otherwise, do everything the way Jeri said!!
RENEE'S CHOCOLATE SHEET CAKE
ReplyDeleteHere's one of the best Texas Sheet Cake recipes I've ever had that I got from my friend, Renee.
I've made this lots of times for church functions.
In a medium saucepan combine and cook together:
1 cup butter or margarine
6 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup water
Remove from heat and add:
2 cups of sugar to the pan.
Then add and mix together with a spoon:
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups of flour
2 eggs
Then fold in:
1/2 cup of sour cream
Pour cake batter into a half sheet size cookie sheet (the aluminum kind with sides--I bought mine at Costco).
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Cool for 15 minutes and then frost while warm.
While the cake is baking make this FROSTING:
In a saucepan bring to an almost boil:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
6 Tbsp. milk
Then add and beat well:
1 lb. sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional-my family likes it better without the nuts)
Of course it tastes great---It's full of cocoa and sugar and butter with a little sour cream thrown in! The frosting is almost like fudge--Yum:)