All-Mine Apple Pie

These are most of the provisions you will need to succeed

This is all the hardware you might want to use to succeed.

Unfurling of refrigerated pie crust

Mixing all the filling goodness (no pun intended)

Assembly

Extra filling goodness (Again, no pun intended)

(Cinnamon sticks used as props.  This is not bark pie)

... And the fruit of your (not so) hard work.

Came up with this recipe when I received some beautiful fruit from a lady at church this last Sunday.  To be sure, of the selection I could name Granny Smiths and Golden Delicious, both fantastic for pie-baking and another one that appeared and tasted like a Gravenstein even though we're out of season for such a jewel.

I LOVE to bake, especially pies.  The only thing I don't like about a whole, slice-and-serve variety is how it all falls apart no matter how much of a dab-hand you are at slicing.  Today, a solution was born to my messy dilemma.

Prep to finish: 1 hour
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

3/4 c white sugar
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon (I used Kirkland Signature Saigon Cinnamon.  Very punchy, strong flavor, so measure carefully!)
1/8 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated preferred
1 pinch of salt (or 1/8 tsp if you have to measure)
4 medium sized baking apples, peeled, sliced and quartered
1 recipe double crust, split into two equal balls
 or 1 refrigerated double crust (I used Pilsbury)
1 large egg, beaten with 1 tsp water (egg wash)
Sugar and cinnamon for dusting

1.  Preheat oven to 425 F.

2.  Measure all filling ingredients and stir together in a large bowl.  Add prepped apples and stir gently to combine.  Set aside.

2.  Dust counter with a/p flour and roll out 1 ball of crust dough to 1/8 inch thickness* into a large round.  Using a rotary-style pizza slicer, split the crust in half across the circumference, then into quarters.  Place about 1/4 cup of the filling into the center of one of the quarters and moisten all edges with egg wash.  Cover with another quarter of the crust and press dough together, being careful to remove as much air as possible without pushing out the filling.  Here, you can either crimp the edges with a fork or just make little pleats every 1/4 to a 1/2 inch along the edge until a triangular parcel is formed.  Do the same for the remaining six slices of pie crust to form 4 pies total.

3. Remove unbaked pie to a a sheet tray lined with parchment paper.  I could only fit 2 per pan, as I didn't want to over crowd the pies.  Gloss tops with egg wash and dust with sugar and cinnamon to taste.  Make two parallel slits in the center of each pie, no longer than 1 inch each.

4.  Place pies in preheated oven and bake (NO PEEKING unless you're looking through the glass window)  for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and filling can be seen bubbling through the slits.

At this point, it is absolutely imperative (as any baker or impatient eater will tell you) to let the pies sit for no less than 20 minutes, 1 hour if you have the time.  The pies should slide right off of the parchment (trust me, spending the extra couple dollars is worth the sanity saved, especially if you've cleaned your fair share of baked food concreted to your cookware).  After the waiting period has been patiently wethered, you can pick up your pie and eat it without even getting a plate or fork.  No muss, a litte fuss, and a whole lot of Autumnal goodness.

*If you are using the refrigerated pie crust, roll it out onto your floured work surface and prepared as mentioned above.  'Frigerated crusts are both time efficient and tasty, almost as good as homemade.  I make sure to stock up when they go on sale.


p.s.  I just took a bite of one of these hand-held goodies and I've got to say, I'm SO ready for Christmas to be here!!!