with love, apple pie {joy the baker}

We have somehow ended up with apples out the wazooka here in the Murri household.

Since I got to enjoy a lovely Sunday at home with my hubs and babychunk, I decided I would put some to use and make an apple pie.

Now, I am not a pie maker.

I don't really know if I had ever even made one without my mom doing half of the work.

The thing is, I really don't enjoy pies.

Unless they are apple in variety, are gooey with pumpkin, or are filled with chocolate {duh}.

And Tyrel enjoys pretty much the polar opposite.

But I made an apple pie anyway {which Tyrel enjoyed, thank you very much}.

I used a recipe from Joy the Baker.

I wish I had time to make everything from this blog.

My thighs gain 10 pounds just by looking through her reicpes.

Make this one for yourselves.

It is a little time-consuming but sooohohoho worth it.

{I used frozen pie crusts, too, since they were already in my freezer. You can find her recipe for buttermilk crust on her original posting}.

With Love, Apple Pie
{from Joy the Baker}

2 1/2 lbs baking apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1/4-inch thick.  I used a combination of Granny Smith, Fuji and Pink Ladies.

1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 – 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, preferably fresh grated

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch

In a large bowl, combine the apples, lemon juice, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and toss to mix.  Allow the apples to macerate at room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes and a maximum of 3 hours.

Transfer the apples and their juices to a colander suspended over a bowl to capture the liquid.  The mixture will release at least 1/2 cup of liquid.

In a small saucepan (preferably lined with a nonstick surface), over medium high heat, boil down this liquid, with the butter, to about 1/3 cup (a little more if you started with more than 1/2 cup of liquid), or until syrupy and lightly caramelized.  Swirl the liquid but do not stir it.  (Alternatively, spray a 4-cup heatproof measuring cup with nonstick vegetable spray, add liquid and butter, and boil it in the microwave, 6 to 7 minutes on high.)  Meanwhile, transfer the apples to a bowl and toss them with the cornstarch until all traces of it have disappeared.

Pour the syrup over the apples, tossing gently (Do not be concerned if the liquid hardens on contact with the apples; it will dissolve during baking.)

Roll out the top crust large enough to cut a 12-inch circle.

Transfer the apple mixture to the pie shell.  Moisten the border of the bottom crust by brushing it lightly with water and place the top crust over the fruit.  Trim the overhang of the top crust so that there is only 1/2-inch of overhand.  Tuck the overhand under the bottom crust boarder and press down all around to seal it.  Crimp the border using a fork or your fingers and make about 5 evenly spaced 2-inch slashes starting about 1 inch from the center of the pie and radiating toward the edge.  Cover the pie loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 1 hour before baking.  This will chill and relax the pastry, preventing shrinking.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F at least 20 minutes before baking.  Set oven rack at the lowest level and place a baking stone or baking sheet on top of it before preheating.  Place a large piece of greased foil on top of the sheet to catch any juices.

Set the pie directly on he foil topped baking stone and bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until the juices bubble through the slashes and the apples feel tender but not mushy when a take tester or small sharp knife is inserted through a slash.  After 30 minutes, protect the edges from overbrowning with a foil ring.

Col the pie on a rack at least 4 hours before cutting.  Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream.