Old-fashioned country-style apple pie
Instructions:
-
Those who make apple pies often don't even need to follow a recipe, but this is how to make a basic apple pie. A few variations follow.
- Pastry for 1 double-crust 9-incb pie;
- 3⁄4 to 1 cup sugar (less for sweeter apples, more for tart);
- 2 to 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (less for drier apples, more for juicy ones);
- 1⁄2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon to taste;
- 1⁄8 teaspoon nutmeg (optional);
- 1⁄4 teaspoon salt;
- 6 to 1 cups thinly sliced, pared apples (2 to 21⁄2 pounds);
- 2 tablespoons butter.
- Prepare the pastry, roll out half of it, and line a 9-inch pie pan. Preheat oven to 425°F.
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, if desired, and salt. Fold in the apples and mix until evenly coated. Heap the apples in the pastry-lined pan and pat down firmly. Dot with butter. Roll out top crust and fit over the apples. Cut vent holes and flute the edges. Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the crust is browned and apples are tender.
- DUTCH APPLE PIE: Cut large vents in the top crust and omit the butter. Five to 10 minutes before baking time is up, remove pie from the oven and pour 1⁄2 cup heavy cream into the pie through the vents. Return pie to oven and finish baking.
- CANDY APPLE PIE: Omit cinnamon and nutmeg and add 3 tablespoons red cinnamon candies to the sugar. Make a lattice-style top crust.
- APPLE-RAISIN PIE: Add 1⁄2 cup seedless golden or dark raisins to the apples.
- STREUSEL APPLE PIE: Omit top crust and butter. Top the pie with a mixture of 1⁄4 cup brown sugar, 1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour, and 1⁄4 cup butter, blended to make coarse crumbs.
- APPLE-PECAN PIE: Add 1⁄4 cup chopped pecans to the apple mixture.
- WISCONSIN APPLE PIE: Lay 4 thin slices (4 ounces) sharp Wisconsin Cheddar cheese on top of the apples after dotting them with the butter. Cover with top crust and bake as directed.