9.28.2009

Apple Picking and Apple Pie



Saturday was a perfect fall day in New England. The sky was blue, the leaves have begun to change, and the air was crisp and cool. You needed a light jacket or sweater, but the sun was warm on your face. It was a perfect fall day for the most perfect fall activity -- apple picking.

While Chris stayed home working on grad school stuff, I took the drive up from Connecticut, my sister, her husband and their 3-year old took the drive down from Vermont, and we met up at my parents house in Massachusetts. One of my dad's friends has a farm in Amherst, and with his usual generosity, offered it up for our (free!) apple picking enjoyment.

Bags in hand, we began our walk through the orchard. The trees were laden with red and green fruit, literally ripe for the picking. My niece walked up to a low-lying branch and informed me, "This is how you do it, Auntie Amy: twist and pull!!!" It was an instruction that was repeated often throughout the afternoon. We picked until the bags were filled with Cortlands, while visions of crisps and crumbles and pies danced in our heads. It was, in fact, the perefct fall day!

Here's my recipe for apple pie, or should I say, apple pie filling because I use
Pillsbury crust.

Ingredients:
1 package refrigerated pie crust, or homemade crust
10 apples, variety of your choosing, peeled, cored and diced
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons apple pie spice
2 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon milk

Preheat oven to 425. Place one pie crust in an ungreased pie plate and press firmly against the side and bottom of the dish. In a large bowl, toss the diced apples with the lemon juice. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients well. Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the apples and mix well so that all the apples are coated. Spoon the filling into the crust-lined pie plate. Cut the butter into pats and place randomly on top of the apple pie filling. Top with the second crust and press the edges together to seal (if using refrigerated pie crust, see package directions for a two-crust pie). Brush the crust with the milk. Cut slits in several places in the top crust and bake for 45 minutes, until apples are tender and the crust is brown. Cool for at least an hour before serving.

1 comment:

jck said...

I hope to see that picture of your beautiful niece on your desk soon...