My daughter and I went apple picking yesterday and she really wants to make an apple pie. I think I'm either going to use one of the following recipes or maybe a combination of them (crust from CL's Blue Ribbon and filling from the other - I like the idea of cooking down the apples on the stove). I'm thinking about making my own crust from scratch, which I've never done before and am a little nervous about. Can I substitute all butter for the shortening? How long does it need to chill? Maybe I should just buy a crust.Has anyone made either of these recipes and have any advice for me? Thanks so much!!
Apple Pie
Tama Hiles
Difficulty: Medium
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Pastry:
1 cup shortening
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cold water
Filling:
6 to 8 large peeled and sliced apples
1/2 cup brown sugar, may need more depending on the sweetness of the apples
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch, may need more depending on juiciness of apples
Milk, to help browning
For the Pastry: Mix shortening, salt and flour, add water mix well.
In a saucepan, mix apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon; cook at low heat until tender. Mix cornstarch and water and add to apples to thicken.
Put into pastry lined pie plate. Add pastry to top. Bake in a 350 degree F oven until brown. Before completely baked, brush with milk.
A viewer, who may not be a professional cook, provided this recipe. The FN chefs have not tested this recipe and therefore, we cannot guarantee the results.
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Blue-Ribbon Apple Pie - Cooking Light
Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chilled butter or stick margarine, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
5 to 7 tablespoons ice water
Filling:
2 cups thinly sliced peeled Granny Smith or other tart apple such as Newtown, Pippin, or Crispin (about 1 pound)
2 cups thinly sliced peeled Braeburn or other all-purpose apple such as Empire (about 1 pound)
1 cup thinly sliced peeled Rome or other firm baking apple such as Baldwin or Winesap (about 1/2 pound)
1 cup thinly sliced peeled McIntosh or other tender apple such as Gravenstein or Jonathan (about 1/2 pound)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons fat-free milk
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
To prepare crust, lightly spoon 2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl; cut in butter and shortening with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add vinegar and enough ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork until dough is moist. Divide dough in half. Gently press each dough half into a 4-inch circle on heavy-duty plastic wrap, and cover with additional plastic wrap. Roll one half of dough, still covered, into a 12-inch circle; chill. Roll other half of dough, still covered, into an 11-inch circle; chill.
Preheat oven to 450�.
To prepare filling, combine apples and lemon juice in a large bowl. Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle over apple mixture, tossing well to combine.
Remove 1 sheet of plastic wrap from the 12-inch circle; fit dough, plastic-wrap side up, into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray, allowing dough to extend over edge of plate. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap. Spoon apple mixture into crust. Remove 1 sheet of plastic wrap from the 11-inch circle, and place dough, plastic-wrap side up, on top of apple mixture. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap. Press edges of dough together; fold edges under, and flute. Cut 6 (1-inch) slits into top of pastry using a sharp knife. Brush top and edges of pie with milk; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Place pie on a baking sheet; bake at 450� for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375� (do not remove pie from oven). Bake an additional 45 minutes or until golden (shield crust with aluminum foil if it gets too brown). Cool on a wire rack.
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