Apple Picking Season

It's October, which means it's apple picking season in New England.  My daughters and I went to Gould Hill Farm in Contoocook, New Hampshire and picked lovely apples.  I fell in love with Macoun apples.  It was so nice to go to the grocery stores for months and find local apples for sale.  I never know where my apples are from here in Texas grocery stores, and they are usually all polished up (waxed?) and shiny - not at all like the crazy shaped and a bit dusty apples you pick yourself.

This year Celia went apple picking with her new beau, and wants Mom's apple pie recipe.  :-) 

Two-crust pastry

2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup Crisco (or other brand shortening)
1/4 cup cold water

Measure flour into mixing bowl and mix salt through it.  Use pastry blender or two knives in cross cut motion to cut in Crisco, until it looks like big crumbs.  The old Betty Crocker book says "until the shortening particles are the size of giant peas" lol. 

Sprinkle with water, a tablespoon at a time, mixing lightly until all the flour is moistened.  Use really cold water, that will help your pastry turn out flaky.  Mix lightly, don't mash it together!

Gather the dough together with fingers so it cleans the bowl and press it firmly into a ball.  Wrap with cling wrap and put in the refrigerator until you are ready to roll it out. 


Apple Pie Filling

Mix together 3/4 to 1 cup sugar (depends on the tartness of your apples) and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. 

Variation:  when I use green apples, I use at least 1/4 cup brown sugar and about two tablespoons flour.  The flour helps to thicken the juice.  If you have juicy apples, add a bit of flour to the cinnamon sugar.

Mix the cinnamon sugar through six to seven cups sliced pared apples.

Flour a surface and a rolling pin.  Cut your dough about in half, use the larger half for the bottom crust.  Don't add too much extra flour (nobody wants tough crust!).  Turn the dough a few times (like a clock) so it doesn't stick. 

Roll out your bottom crust and leave an inch hanging over the edge of the pan.  Fill with apple mixture, and then dot with 1 1/2 tablespoon butter (cut up into little bits and distribute over the apples). 

Roll out your top crust.  Moisten the edge of the bottom pastry and ease the top crust evenly onto the pie.  Press the edges together to seal.  Fold the top edges under, building up a rim.  You can make this pretty by pressing with a fork or twisting between your finger and thumb.  Cut a few slits to allow steam to escape (this is where I get creative, while the oven heats).

Bake at 425 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes.

If the rim starts to brown too quickly, you can wrap it with a strip of foil to prevent burning.  A couple of pies and you'll know how your oven works.  Each oven is a bit different.  A piece of foil (shiny side down) under the pan will help to catch any filling that spills out during baking.


Apple Crisp

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease an 8" square pan.

Peel and slice about 4 apples, place in pan.   (use what you have - if you want more apples than crisp, use more, if you want more crisp, use fewer apples)

Blend until crumbly, then spread over apples:
2/3 to 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup sifted flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/3 cup soft butter

Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown.  Serve warm with ice cream.

Enjoy your delicious apples and the crisp cool fall weather in New England!