Surprise #1: Mrs. Corvin's Apple Pie Recipe 🍎

[Alternate Text: A header image of an apple pie that has had a slice cut out of it so you can see the amount of tender, spiced apples inside it. The pie dish is a pretty red color that matches a few of the apples in the background. It appears very homey.]

Below you will find a recipe for Mrs. Corvin's apple pie! 🍎 It's a perfect dessert for this time of year that can be dressed up or down depending on how you'd like to make it. Overall, the steps are straightforward, yielding a warming, spice-filled dessert for you to savor and possibly even share! :D

You don't have to make the crust from scratch since this takes more time and planning, but I'll include how to below. If you prefer store bought, you will need a top and bottom crust for this pie, and it will come together pretty quickly after you prepare the apple filling. It's your call! 😁

10'' Double Crust Pastry

Ingredients 

• 2 cup all-purpose

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 2/3 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening (Crisco)

• 3 tablespoon chilled unsalted butter (diced into small cubes)

• 4-6 tablespoons of ice water

• If you want a very slightly sweet crust, you can sprinkle in two teaspoons of granulated sugar.

(I tend to 1 and 1/2 this recipe because we have some very deep dish, decorative pie plates; however, for a general pie pan, you will probably be fine with it as is. I found the extra crust easier to work with.)

Before getting into the method, you'll notice that keeping things chilled is key to ensuring a flaky crust; it's so the butter melts during the baking process rather than prior to it. I chill my stainless bowl in advance, my rolling pin is in the fridge, my butter/Crisco is cut up and then put back in the fridge to re-chill before cutting it into the flour, etc. You don't need to go this hard, lol, but keep in mind cold = good.

Method

Stir together the flour, salt, and possibly sugar in a bowl. Add half each of the shortening and butter and cut it with a pastry blender until the mixture is the consistency of coarse meal, aka kind of sandy. (If you don't have a pastry blender, use two butter knives to create a criss-cross motion back and forth like you're sawing with them. They'll form a loose 'X' in your bowl.) Then add the remaining butter and shortening and cut it until pea-sized particles form. Those 'peas' signal the start of your dough forming.

Now use a fork! Add the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing and turning the mixture lightly to moisten the dough evenly. Use only as much water as necessary for the dough to come together.

Gently gather the dough into a ball, divide in half, and flatten each half into a thick disk and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Chill for about 1 hour before preparing the filling. Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit or 204 Celsius. (With our convection oven, I did it a smidge less, but ours runs hot.)

Apple Filling

If you're using store bought crusts, still set your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit or 204 Celsius! I realize you might just skip to the filling section, so this is a reminder to help with your timing. ⌛

Ingredients

• 3/4 cups of sugar

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (add more depending on your preference)

• 1/4 teaspoon orange peel

• 1/8 teaspoon of salt

• 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg

• 6 cups (about 5 medium) peeled, thinly sliced apples. (Granny Smith, Braeburn Rome, Golden Delicious, etc. I'd suggest a triple threat: 2 Granny Smith, 2 Braeburn, and then 2 Rome. If you can't find Rome, substitute Honeycrisp. That goes for all of these since depends on your area/the harvest.)

• 2 tablespoon of butter (for dotting on top of the filling in the pastry before top crust goes on.)

(Optional) Glaze- tablespoon of milk about 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar. I'll explain this in the method, but it isn't a legit 'glaze'. It's something used to make your crust extra shiny. I only sometimes do it.

Method

Combine first 6 apple filling ingredients in a small bowl; you'll make a spiced sugar mix.

Place apple in a large bowl and sprinkle with the sugar/cornstarch/spice mixture and toss, coasting the slices evenly. You can taste one of the apple slices to determine the level of spice you'd like.

If you made the pie crust from scratch, then read this as well:

To assemble and bake, place 1 chilled dough disk on a lightly floured work surface and roll out into an 11'' around about 1/8'' thick. Drape the round around the rolling pin (holding the rolling pin from turning with your thumb) and transfer to a 10'' pie dish, gently easing it into the bottom and sides without stretching. (I just use my hands instead of the rolling pin trick.) Trim the overhang so it extends about 1'' beyond the rim of the pan, then fold the edge under.

Roll out the remaining disk of dough in the same manner for the top crust.

If you're using store bought, then skip to this part, assuming you have the bottom crust in the pan and are ready to fill it before topping it:

Spoon the filling evenly into the pie shell. Dot the top of the filling with 2 tablespoon of butter, so cut it into cubes and spread it around. Drape the second pastry round around the rolling pin and let it fall gently over the filling. Trim the overhang so it extends about 1/2'' beyond the rim of the pie pan. Fold the edge under, and flute to seal the crust. By 'flute', it means to crimp it. You want a seal between the top and bottom by tucking it under, but you can then use fork tines to create an impression in the thick sealed edge.

Cut a few small vents in the top. Bake for 10 minutes.

Decrease the heat to 350 Fahrenheit (177 Celsius) degrees and then continue to bake for about 50 minutes longer, or until the pastry is golden.

Gently glaze top of crust with milk and sprinkle with sugar about 10 minutes before removing it from the oven, if you want.

Once it's done baking, transfer to a wire rack to let it cool.

Fun Extras

• Mrs. Corvin prefers from scratch crusts (among other things) given how she views home-cooking and farm-to-table meals. She would be willing to teach MCs who are close to J. 😘

• Vanilla ice cream would go very well with this apple pie!

• Huckleberry, A's pet racoon, would want to 'help' with those apple slices until gently shooed out of the kitchen after being given one (1) slice.

• Once the pie is cooled, you can cut it into slices and freeze! It will come out just fine.