TBU Apple Pie Recipe

I've spent the last few weeks inventing an apple pie recipe that I hoped would win a prize in the village show. This was my first time entering the contest, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect or what the judging criteria were.

The pies that won were quite beautiful. Artistic even. My pie was what I like to call Tasty But Ugly (TBU). Peter said it looked like a comic book pie, like it should be sitting on a window, with steam rising off of it, tempting a neighbourhood cat to steal it. But it wasn't quite in the same class as the spectacular pies that won.

So, lesson learned. It seemed like the pies were cut, but I don't think they were tasted. I'm fairly confident I've made a better showing had the judges tasted the pies, but that's okay. I'm happy with my recipe because it really is delicious and interesting. Don't believe me? Try making it yourself. :)

Tasty But Ugly Apple Pie Recipe

Crust Ingredients
1 cup plain flour
1 glass of ice water
2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon

1 cup powdered sugar
3 cups plain flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup Crisco

Filling Ingredients
6 apples, peeled and sliced (I go for between 1/2 and 1/4 inch in thickness of slices. I also like to use different kind of apples. I love Empire and Northern Spy but can't get them here, so I usually use Braeburn and Granny Smith)
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
100 grams crystallized ginger, diced into tiny pieces

Preliminary Crust Instructions
1.) Put 1 cup plain flour in a small bowl.
2.) Add 2 tsp lemon juice.
3.) Add ice water slowly, mixing in between. You're looking for a slurry, sort of the consistency of cake batter. Try not to put in too much water though.
4.) In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup powdered sugar, 3 cups plain flour, and 1 tsp salt.
5.) Add the Crisco in chunks, mashing it in with a fork.
6.) Add the slurry to the Crisco mixture and stir.
7.) The dough should start to come together. Mold it together by hand if necessary.
8.) Separate the dough into 2 balls of roughly equal size.
9.) On a floured surface, smoosh one of the dough balls, aiming to get a flattened disc a big bigger than your hand. Repeat with the other ball.
10.) Take your two dough discs, dust with flour, and wrap in either plastic wrap or tin foil. (Or place in large freezer bag.
11.) Place dough discs in freezer for at least 10 minutes.

Filling Instructions
1.) Line a bowl with paper towels.
2.) Add apples.
3.) Add 2 tsp lemon juice, mix by hand.
4.) Add 4 tablespoons brown sugar, mix by hand.
5.) In small bowl, combine 1 tsp cinammon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp cloves.
6.) Add spice mixture to apple mixture, mix by hand.
7.) Add 100 grams crystallized ginger, mix by hand.
8.) Add 1 tablespoon flour, mix by hand.

Pie Assembly Requirements
2 chilled dough discs
Apple filling mixture
1 pastry brush
1 egg white, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons milk
a few teaspoons of granulated sugar
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

Pie Assembly Instructions
1.) On a floured surface, roll out one dough disc until it's large enough for your pie tin.
2.) Place rolled out dough in pie tin. Pull off extra dough. (In our house, someone is always willing to eat raw dough.)
3.) Brush dough with egg whites.
4.) Bake crust for 10-15 minutes.
5.) Roll out second dough disc until it's big enough to cover top of pie. You will have left-over dough.
6.) Remove crust from oven.
7.) Add filling.
8.) Place second rolled out dough on top of pie. Cut off extra dough, shape crust as you like it.
9.) Brush milk on top of pie and sprinkle with sugar.
10.) Cut venting hole (I like the X) on top of the pie.
11.) Bake for 20-30 minutes until top is golden brown. Keep an eye on pie, turning as necessary. Also be prepared to put tin foil over edges if they start to bake too quickly.

So, that's my recipe. I just tasted my pie and I think it's quite delicious, even if it's not the prettiest pie in the village. Sorry the cooking times are so non-specific. I'm working with a recalcitrant electric oven that uses Celsius, but isn't very accurate. You basically want a hot oven for 10 or 15 minutes and then a slightly less hot oven. I've found it usually works best of the pie is more towards the bottom of the oven, but your mileage may vary.

Enjoy!