{somehow, this post moved it's way up to the top of the blog, from way back in December. Interestingly enough, I did bake an apple pie today...along with the watermelon margaritas featured below.}
finally, it's snowing the first local snow of December just outside my window. There are big, fat flakes all full of water and holiday spirit just tumbling out of the sky. Alas, they aren't accumulating on anything beyond porches just yet. Living where I do, a white Christmas happens about seventy percent of the time. I genuinely like winter for the most part, as the local countryside is gorgeous so long as it has help from Mother Nature: we need the big green leaves of summer or the brilliant autumn shades or the soft heathered white of snow and clouds to make it pretty. There aren't enough evergreens to cover up the sad, lonely branches of deciduous tress when they've no leaves to cover them, unless they are providing a beautiful contrast for white snow and the purple haze of twilight.
Still, snow and cold make for red noses and cold toes, the sort of thing that requires warm food and warmer homes to take the chill away. I know it's not apple season anymore and that we are all supposed to be buying and eating food locally and in season...but the damn things last so very long in the refrigerator! Seriously, shove six or so apples int eh back of your fridge and two months later, they're still great for applesauce or pie. Even better, peel ones you know you won't eat, cut into quarters & core {you know, like you were about to put them on a plate and eat them}, then toss in a zipper bag and into the freezer. Good basically forever.
cough. Back to the point, winter is cold, people like to hibernate and eat warm things, turning the oven on is a good.thing. Plus, apple pie gives you some extra fruit in a diet of hot chocolate and fondue.
6 or 8 large apples
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh grated or 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
dash ground ginger
vanilla
1/2 cup sugar (white or brown or a combination)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 or 2 tablespoons molasses (optional)
This pie crust recipe. Don't read if you have a general affinity for frozen pie crusts, as I come down on them pretty hard...also you should read if you have an affinity for frozen pie crusts as I explain how easy it really is to make one at home and how you really.shouldn't.ever. use frozen pie crusts.
Peel, quarter, core, and slice (each quarter should be cut into about four pieces) the apples into a large bowl, then add the spices, sugar, etc. Toss together and set aside. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees, then prepare the above pie crust, or one of your choosing {you have no idea how difficult it was to write that sentence}. Take have the pie dough, rolling it to fit your pie pan (a nine inch glass one seems to work best), then placing it into the bottom of the pie pan. Fill with the apples, then roll out the other half of the dough to cover the top. Pinch the edges together to seal, then cut or poke steam vents in a {preferably} pretty pattern on the top. I sometimes sprinkle a tablespoon or so of sugar on top, but it isn't necessary.
Place the assembled pie onto a sprayed cookie sheet. You'll need one with stand-up edges, as this is used to catch any overflowing apple juice from the pie. Some apples are juicier than a couple tablespoons of cornstarch will handle, others may not overflow at all. Place the pie into the 400 degree oven for about a half hour, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees for the final half hour. At the heat reduction time, it is usually helpful to place a pie crust shield over the outer edges of the pie. If you don't have one, take three or four short strips of aluminum foil, folding them together to form a circle to place over just the outer edges of the pie crust. It will keep those edges from burning before the apples and bottom crust are baked.
Sometimes the pie will take a bit more than an hour, depending on your oven and the sturdiness of the apples. Check to see if the bottom crust is golden brown and if an knife inserted discretely into the top of the pie feels as though the apples are not resisting. Allow to cool, then serve with ice cream, milk, cheese, or whatever you like.
"Be well. Do good work. Keep in touch." - Garrison Keillor
