…..and it also stands for ‘Phil’, who just so happened to be the recipient of this very pie. His birthday had quietly passed the week before; quietly because he had told no one at the time, claiming to have forgotten. Fast forward to the following week- though it seemed an unusual gift, I somehow got it into my head that a home baked apple pie, combined with a hand made birthday card, would make for a nice belated birthday present. It had probably been about a quarter of a century (maybe more) since I had made a real-from-scratch apple pie. As a kid I used to make a version from my mom’s ‘Joy of Cooking’ (by Irma S. Rombauer + Marion Rombauer Becker). According to my recollection, it had provided consistently outstanding results. I remember my dad happily tucking into a slice, enjoying it still warm from the oven and accompanied with a thick slice of (orange) cheddar cheese.
I found this version online. Though I like most of the quantities, its method is far more complicated and time consuming than is necessary to make a darned good pie. Also, the temperature was too hot for too long. The ‘Joy of Cooking’ instructions are far more reasonable and far more practical for those of us who are interested in baking something, but who would also still like to have a life. One thing that neither recipe mentions is to cut the fat in half, before incorporating it into the flour. In ‘Home-Ec’ we were taught to cut the first half of the butter into the flour until it formed a fine meal. The fine meal would create ’short gluten strands’ which would result in a tender pastry. The second half of the butter was to be cut into the dough only until it formed a much courser meal, almost like small peas. The larger meal would create ‘long gluten strands’, resulting in flakiness. I do recommend this technique when making pastry. It really does result in a pie crust that is both tender and flaky. This pie really is quite straight forward to make, and the results certainly outweigh the effort. I look forward to making this recipe again soon, even if it isn’t someone’s birthday.
Phil’s Birthday Apple Pie
Adapted from ‘The Joy of Cooking’ and ‘The Joy of Baking‘
(Makes one 9″ Pie)
Crust:
2 c all-purpose flour, sifted and then measured
1 t salt
1/4 c ice water
2/3 c butter, cut into cubes and chilled
Place the flour in a large bowl. Stir in the salt. Using a fork + a knife, cut in half the cold butter, until a fine meal is formed. Cut in the second half of the butter, until a ‘pea-size’ meal is formed. Drizzle in the water and stir, just until combined. Pour dough out onto a lightly floured board. Fold dough into a ball, handling as little as possible. Cover dough with saran wrap and chill in the fridge for one hour.
Apple Filling:
2 1/2 pounds apples (about 5 medium-large), peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1/4 t salt
2 T butter
2 T flour
1 t lemon juice
zest of ½ lemon
1 t vanilla
2 T butter, cut into small pieces
In a small bowl combine sugars, spices, salt and flour. In another small bowl, combine lemon juice, zest and vanilla. Place apples in a large bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice mixture and stir. Next sprinkle on dry ingredients, stirring to combine.
Assembly:
Preheat oven to 450* and place the rack @ medium height. After the dough has chilled, unwrap it and cut it in half. Replace the second half of the dough to the fridge, and place the first half on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry into a 12 “ circle. Line a 9″ pie plate w. the pastry. Fill with the apple mixture, dot with the 2 T of butter pieces. Roll out 2nd half of pastry. Cover pie. Trim and shape edges. Cut vents or poke holes with a fork. Brush w. milk. Put pie on a baking sheet (to avoid a mess in the oven). Bake pie @ 450* for 10 minutes, then turn heat down to 350*. Bake for another 45 minutes. ***Check at 30 minutes, to see if edges are burning and need to be covered with tin foil. This pie is best served when still warm….. with a thoughtful side of vanilla ice-cream or fresh whipped whipped cream.
