Homemade Apple Pie

It is here! The recipe I have been dying to share with y’all since I started this blogging adventure.

I love baking in the kitchen with my mom, it is something we have done since I was little, so yesterday while she was at my home I took the opportunity for us to make my grandmother’s famous apple pie together. It was nice to have two additional hands in the kitchen that were helping instead of eating all my ingredients! While we were elbow-deep in apples, flour, and sugar she shared a bit more of the family history on this pie, which I love!

This recipe is actually an original of my great-grandmothers and has been passed down to generations since. My mom grew up on a farm where my grandfather had the most luscious gardens. When my grandmother was going to bake this pie the whole family would go pick fresh apples straight from the trees. They always had to pick extra since the backside of the trees didn’t get a lot of sunshine and some apples would have worms. Oh, the joys of growing your own fruit! My grandparents had this huge wooden picnic table underneath the shade trees where they would all sit and peel the apples with paring knives. They would even throw in a friendly competition to see who could get the longest, most continuous peel.

Yesterday when I was going to peel the apples with an ordinary stainless steel kitchen peeler my mom looked at me like I was crazy. Clearly, she doesn’t understand how clumsy I can be with a sharp knife at close proximity to my phalanges.

Not only is this pie quick and easy to make but it also packs some intense flavor that will have you hoarding the entire thing for yourself!

Ingredients – Crust (8″ or 9″)

• 1 cup Flour
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp Shortening
• 2-3 tbsp water

Ingredients – Pie Filling

• 4-6 Large Apples (tart), peeled and sliced
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
• 3/4 cup Flour
• 1/2 – 1/3 cup Butter
• 1 cup Sugar

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400*.
2. Begin by making your crust. Mix all the ingredients together by using a pastry blender. Once well mixed, work the dough into a ball shape (add more water if needed) and use a rolling pin to roll out on a floured surface until desired thickness is reached. Roll the dough back onto the rolling pin and use it to help lay the dough over the pie pan. Trim edges using a small knife.
   

   

   

   

   
3. Cut your peeled apples into the desired shape and size. (I cut mine into cubes because it makes cutting the pie a bit easier, but my grandmother always made slices.)
4. Add the apples to a bowl then sprinkle and mix together with half of the sugar mixed with cinnamon. Once well-mixed place in pastry lined pan. 
5. Mix the remaining sugar with flour and add in chopped butter. Using the pastry blender, chop and mix the ingredients together until crumbly. You can also use your hands for this step. Sprinkle the mixture over the apples.
6. Bake for 15min in 400* oven.
7. Reduce heat to 350* for an additional 30 minutes or until apples are tender.
8. Enjoy warm with vanilla ice cream!

*Note: I suggest using a mixture of Granny Smith and Golden Delicious apples! I used some Fuji this time for more color 🙂 And if you are short on time use refrigerated pie crusts instead of making your own. It is seriously so easy though!