Recipe: Apple Pie

It's that time of year, when leaves turn golden, PSL's a plenty, and the apples are ready for picking! Here's the recipe that I use for a mighty fine apple pie! It's my husband's Grandma's way of baking them, and I try to stick as close to her method as possible... because I've had her pies and they are THE BEST. My sister Jackie took time a couple years ago to go and bake with her, and learn all her tricks. I think knowing how to make a good apple pie is an essential skill to have. I mean, who doesn't love apple pie?! Not to mention how your house smells all day... ahhh... oh yeah, on to the recipe:

Grandma Hoeppner's Pie Pastry

5 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

3/4 tsp baking powder

1 package (2 cups) Tenderflake lard

1 egg

1 tbsp vinegar

Whisk dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Cut lard into 1" slices and place in layers into the dry ingredients (sprinkle some of the dry ingredients between each layer of Tenderflake). Cut in the lard with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles "course meal".

Whisk egg and vinegar in a glass 1-cup measuring cup. Add enough cold water to make 1 cup (250 ml).

Make a deep well in the centre of the mixing bowl and slowly add some of the wet ingredients (egg mixture), mixing in between, while adding more of the dough and wet mix until all combined. You want the dough to just cling together, and not be too wet. 

Turn the dough onto the counter/tabletop and work together by gently kneading a few times. I divide this dough into 6 equal balls and chill overnight. It can also be frozen. (2 balls = 1 pie, bottom + top crust)

Apple Pie Filling

(yield: 1 pie)

6 cups Goodland apples, peeled/cored/sliced (You gotta have Goodland (best ever!!) but Granny Smith is a close second)

2/3 cups sugar

1 tbsp tapioca

1 tbsp corn starch

1/2 tsp cinnamon (I prefer Saigon)

Roll out bottom pie pastry, and fill with sliced apples.  Whisk together sugar, tapioca, corn starch, and cinnamon, and sprinkle this mixture over the apples. Brush the edge of the bottom crust with lemon juice before adding the top crust. Pinch/flute the edge and cut excess. Add a design with vents to your pie pastry and brush with cream. Sprinkle with shimmering sugar (or regular sugar) and wrap the very edge of the pie with tin foil to avoid burning the crust. 

Bake at 425*F for 15 minutes, and then turn the oven temperature down to 375*F until it's done... around 30 more minutes. You can remove the foil for the last couple of minutes to get it evenly golden.

Enjoy! I hope you love this pie as much as we do!