apple pie delight

One fine day, as I was driving home from Chicago, I passed an apple orchard. This particular orchard was run by very smart folks. Folks who advertise many, many miles before the actual orchard. I thought that I had passed it by and I was rather sad and then suddenly, a TURN HERE sign appeared. Oh my! So I turned, tasted many kinds of apples, and left with 40 pounds of them. Do you know how many apples it takes to fill two 20 pound bags? Many, many apples.

Kevin and I dried some, ate some and I decided to get ahead of the game and bake some for Thanksgiving. My first attempt was sloppy. I did not create actual pies, I wanted to bake smaller versions that would be east to freeze and easier to transport ti Wisconsin. So I baked 1/2 pies. Not good. First, I had way too much crust and not enough pie. Second, 1/2 pie size likes to break apart if you do not have something strong under it at ALL TIMES. And third, they were not very cute.

So on Sunday, I made much smaller, cuter, "hand apple pies". They turned out just lovely.

Here is the crust recipe from my mother. I LOVE this crust and I love to make this crust...

3 cups white flour
1/2 pound of lard, thoroughly cut in

Mix together in a small bowl with a fork
1 egg
5 TBLS water
1 TBLS white vinegar

Cut into flour mixture, refrigerate (rolls better with chilled). Last chilled for 2 weeks.

I went a little less traditional with the filling:

6 apples (about 8 cups), peeled and sliced

Mix together and coat apples
2/3 cup sugar
3 TBLS white flour
1/4 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Add to mixture once apples are thoroughly coated
1 1/2 TBLS brandy
1 tsp vanilla

Bake at 425 for 20 minutes, lower temp to 350 and bake for 35-45 minutes more.

I brushed the tops with eggwhite and sprinkled sugar on top - they looked a little boring. HINT: Don't be shy with the eggwhite.

I saw my parents today and gave them some pie. We met for lunch and we all headed to The Pebble Spa for a family acupuncture session. They had quit smoking when Adam and I were in High School, but they started again when Adam dropped a bomb on them by telling them on the phone that he was getting married to a woman they had never met and who he had only known for a few months. I am surprised that smoking is the only thing they did. I might have done worse.

The quit smoking campaign started when my dad twisted his back and was in severe pain - I suggested he see Jodie, my acupuncturist, and he did. After his first treatment (which eased his back pain so much that he cancelled his cortisone shot appointment), he was convinced she did something to make his cigarettes taste like crap (his words, not mine). Now this is not a bad thing, just an unexpected side effect. It took a few more visits for my dad to ask her to help him quit smoking. Within 3 days of the no-smoking treatment, he had quit. My mother saw her today and I think she has quit already!

What a lovely start of the week - a house full of apple pies and and healthier, happier parents!