Apple Pie Filling

    

There isn't a single person in our house that doesn't love my apple pie.  My children all rave about it and I think it's pretty good too!  I have been making apple pie since I was able to use an oven.  My mother only really made apple pie at Thanksgiving, but I make it several times during the fall because my family loves it so much! 
     The best part of making this pie is watching my kids as they "sneak" into the kitchen while I'm peeling apples.  They all think that I won't notice their little hands as they sneak apple peels from my "garbage" bowl on the counter (I peel the apples into a bowl rather than into the garbage can so that my kids can indulge in the yummy goodness of the apple skins.)  They all giggle when I pretend to swat them away. 
     I am very meticulous about how I cut the apples, so for me, this isn't a quick process.  I do have a do hickey that peels and cuts the apples for me, but clean up is a pain, and I feel that I am not able to control the quality of my product the way that I like.  I prefer to work each apple individually, and I carefully cut away the core and all of the bits that could be hard from the apple.  I slice the apples into thin slices with a really sharp knife.  This helps me to cut most of the slices with the same thickness.
     I like a very simple apple pie, there are really no frills or special seasonings.  I use cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, flour, and lemon juice.  That's it!  I like the taste of the apples, so I try not to cover it up too much.  Today, as I made this pie, I thought about my children and the memories that they will have of me making pies.  They often crowd around the counter (we have a peninsula) and watch me as I roll out the dough and place it in the pie plate, and like little scavengers, they compete for all of the scraps that are left on the counter.  I love that they will have these fun memories to take with them as they grow! 

The aroma that filled my house this afternoon was so heavenly!  The cinnamon and nutmeg enveloped the kitchen and wafted around the entire house!  Another reason why I love the fall season! 

To get started, all you need are 6-8 medium sized apples.  For today's pie, I used Cortland, but you can use Gala, Empire, Ginger Gold, or any combination of these.  I prefer not to use Macintosh apples because their flesh is really soft and they don't hold up well in the pie. 
After you slice them, you need to add the lemon juice, flour sugar, and spices.   Mix the apples well and make sure that all of the apples are coated.  Set them aside.

 

Roll the pie crust out and carefully place in your pie plate.  For this pie, I made a crumbly topping, but you can roll out another crust and use for the top if you prefer.  Fill your crust with the apple filling, making sure to scrap out all of the yummy juice.  Cover your pie (cut vents in the top if covering with additional crust) and bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.  Turn the oven down to 350 and bake for 45 minutes or until the crust is golden and the pie is bubbling.  Cool completely or serve warm (with ice cream for an extra treat!) 

 

 

I promise you, this pie is amazing!  As I am sitting here writing this, my mouth is watering and I already had a piece!  I could sneak a little bite...all of my kids are sleeping and no one would ever know...right? 

 

 

Below is the recipe for both the filling and the crumb topping that I used for this pie.  I hope that your family loves it! 

 

Apple Pie Filling- Makes one pie

 

6-8 Medium apples, peeled and sliced thin (Approximately 3 pounds)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 heaping tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

2 tbsp. flour

 

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients, stirring well to coat evenly.  Fill a prepared pie crust.  Bake at 400 for 15 minutes and 350 for an additional 45 minutes. 

Cool completely or serve warm.

 

Crumb Topping- Makes one pie

 

1/4 cup cold butter

6 tbsp. flour

4 tbsp. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

 

Cut the butter into the flour, sugar, and cinnamon.  Spread evenly over the pie. 

 

The cost to make this pie was approximately $4.25 and feeds 8 people (generously...if you're serving kids it could feed a few more.)  That means that this pie is about $0.53 per person!  Super affordable. 

 

Do you have a family recipe that you would like to share?  If so, please leave it in the comments...I am always looking for new ideas!

 

Blessings to All!