Apple Pie

Apple is the only kind of pie I have ever made...Here's how.

Crust:

1.5 Cups Flour
3/4 Cups Earth Balance
Pinch 'o' Salt
Ice water

Make sure everything is cold. Cut the flour, butter and salt with a pastry knife.

Cutting with a Pasty Knife...

Ready to be formed into a ball/disk

When well combined and somewhat crumbly add just enough water to make a ball.

Form a disk, place on a well floured surface and roll it out so it fits in your pie plate.

Flip the dough over your rolling pin and place in your pie plate. This is the easiest way to get it in there without tearing. If your dough sticks to the counter use a super thin spatula to free it...don't freak out, just take your time and all will be fine. If holes are formed use the extra dough to patch it once you have it all settled in the plate.

Create an edge. I like to pinch a rim, my granny always pressed it with a fork. Put it in the fridge while you work on the filling.



Patches in the top left, little love in the center.

Filling:

An Assload of Apples (I usually pick up 8-10 Mixed)
Sugar
Lemon Juice
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
1/4 Cups Earth Balance

Wash your apples...or don't. Who am I to pretend I do a good job of washing produce? If you have a rad peeler, use it. If not have fun using a knife or hand peeler...Sucks, but PIE is worth it.



Sweet Peeler...

Looks like I added a Pear too...

Use the side of a box grater or a super rad thin slicer to slice the apples into a large bowl. If you have no box grater and no slicer, you MUST take the time to thinly slice the apples. If not you suck and should be embarassed. Chunky apples in pie is LAME.

Thinly sliced.

Remove your pie crust from the Fridge. Preheat the oven to 350.

Add 1/4 cup of sugar, sprinkle generously with cinnamon, few shakes of nutmeg, TBL or so of lemon juice to the bowl of apples and combine.

Put a thin layer of apples in the bottom of the crust, dust well with sugar, sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg, and place a few dots of earth balance.

Repeat with a layer that barely reaches the top of the crust.

Create another layer that mounds up above the edge of the pan, and top with the remaining apples.

If you have not stacked the apples in such a way that it seems insanely ridiculous you have not added enough apples.

 

Topping:

3/4 Cup Quick Oats
Handful Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Flour
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
1/4 Cup Earth Balance (Maybe more...)
Ground pecans or walnuts are a good addition...



Cut the ingredients with the pastry knife. Should be crumbly, but easy to squish together...Can't have the topping rolling off the giant mound of tasty apple-ness you just stacked. Press the topping on the pie.


Cover a cookie sheet with foil, place the pie on the sheet and put it in the oven.

Bake at 350 for about an hour. Check every 10-15 minutes. If the edge crust or topping are getting too brown place a piece of foil on top for the remainder of the baking time. If the crust is too brown and the toppping is ok, put a band of foil around the edge. (You'll need to use hot pads, don't burn yourself, idiot.)

Let it cool for a bit, and then eat it...or let it cool all the way...I always heat up my pie...I am civilized afterall. Share.



Dessert. Slice 'o' Pie, Cinnamon Bun, Pumpkin Cashew Cheesecake, and Thumbprint Cookies