Awesome Apple Pie Recipe

Fall is here and that means cooler temperatures and apples, the perfect combination for baking! When it comes to apple pie however, my hubby is VERY persnickety about how he likes his pie. The crust can’t be overly sweet and the apples cannot be too firm or too mushy. Gee, that makes baking him an apple pie so simple, right? Why does he have to be such a pain in my baking?

The first time I served this pie to him, I of course waited for him to finish his first bite and then I asked the dreaded question. “So what do I need to change?” His response was “nothing!” What a relief! Ha!! I have perfected the plain apple pie into total awesomeness! That’s right, I have nailed his every wish in this easy to pull of pie. Go me!!!

So what goes into making the picky pie eater’s apple pie? First off, lots and lots of love! Peeling and corning apples is no joke when you have to do it so many times. It took a lot of love for me to keep trying till I got it the way he liked it! So, are you ready to make the most awesome apple pie? Let’s start with the crust.

Start by combining all your dry ingredients in a bowl or mixer. Add in the water than cut your cold butter into little cubes. This will make it much easier to get the butter to combine in without making a mess. If you are using a bowl, you will need to use a fork and a lot of arm muscle to press the butter into the dry ingredients. You are not mixing but incorporating. If you are using a mixer, you will want to pulse the butter until it and the dry ingredients combine in a crumbly dough.

Gather up your dough and press it into a ball. Next divide the dough into two equal portions. I flatten mine down in a circular shape before wrapping in plastic wrap to chill, this way once the dough is ready to be rolled out, it is already in the proper shape to get rolling.

While the crust dough is chilling in the fridge, it is time to get you apple pie filling ready. I just want to say, investing in an apple peeler/corer/slicer is one of the best investments you can make if you love apples. We use outs to also make our own applesauce and apple butter.

Set your filling to the side and get you dough out of the fridge. It is time to roll out your pie crusts. Here is a little tip I will share with you…. When I unwrap my dough, I fold the plastic wrap in half, placing the dough in the middle. This makes it much easier to roll the dough out and not have it stick to your rolling pin!

After placing the bottom crust in a lightly greased pan, pour in your apple filling. Now is the time to add in those diced pieces of butter. Try to spread them out evenly so they will melt in even while it bakes.

With so much moisture in this pie, you are going to want a way for the steam to escape the pie so it doesn’t turn your crust soggy. It doesn’t have to be anything amazing, just some openings. Simple knife slits work. I also used a small biscuit cutter to punch out a circle and simply shaped it into an apple. I used a knife to cut out the leaf and stem and them just placed them back down off center. I think it made the pie look super cute and it was very easy to do. Don’t forget to grab a little bit of sugar and sprinkle on top of your crust.

Now slide that awesome pie into a preheated 450 degree oven and let it bake for around 40-45 minutes. If your crust edges are browning too fast, simply wrap the rim with some tin foil To pass the time while your pie bakes, just take a deep breath and enjoy the smell coming from your oven. I promise, it is worth the wait!

While this awesome apple pie can stand alone, I mean, just look at all that flavor between those amazing crusts, I like mine slightly warm with a dollop of vanilla ice cream. Now be honest….. You want apple pie now, don’t you? *wink*