Sunday, December 2, 2012

Final Results from the Test Kitchen--


 
So here are the final recipes at least until I try out the revisions!  I THINK this is the best idea:

For the filling--  4 or 5 golden delicious apples (5 if they're small)
                           1 Jonagold apple (for a little tartness)
                           1 Empire OR Pink Lady apple (for the tinge of pink)
                           about 1/2 cup of golden raisins (optional)
                           about 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
                          4 T of tapioca flour to thicken everything
                           a small splash of vinegar (I used apple cider because that's what was on hand)

Cut the apples into thinish slices and then chop the slices into 1" or so chunks.  Mix all together in a big bowl.

For the crust:    (for a small pie pan, 8" or so) 2 -1/2 to 3 cups of unbleached flour
                                                                         2/3 cup olive oil
                                                                         1 teaspoon salt (I used Celtic sea salt, fine grained)
                                                                         1/3 stick cold unsalted butter
                                                                         4 T iced water

Sift the flour and salt together into a bowl.  Add the olive oil and mix with a fork.  Cut in the butter using two knives or a cutting-in tool (not sure what it's called).  Sprinkle iced water over it all and mix with fork again.  Use your hands to form a ball of dough.  If it's too dry to make a ball, add a LITTLE more oil or water until it sticks together.  Cut the ball in half.

Lay two pieces of waxed paper in a x on the countertop.  Put one hemisphere of dough on it.  Lay another cross of waxed paper over the dough.  Flatten with your hands till it's about an inch thick.  Roll the dough out till it's about 1/8" thick (more or less.  Mine was more).  Peel off the top pieces of waxed paper, and lift the crust with the top sheet of waxed paper that is under it.  Use the waxed paper to help wrangle the crust into the pan without ripping it.  Repeat this whole procedure for the second hemisphere of dough.

Fill the bottom crust with the filling.  Use your finger to wet the rim of the bottom crust with cold water to aid in gluing the two pices of crust together.  Drape the top crust over everything.  Seal the edges.  (Trim first if you need to.  Save the trimmings to make cute little pie-top sculptures).

Prick it several times with a fork to let steam escape.  Bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven for around an hour.  Check, and leave it in for 15 more minutes to try and get it to brown.  Even if it's still pale after 15 minutes, take it out and let it cool.

Please send me your suggestions and improvements!


2 comments:

  1. This sounds great. Thanks for sharing. We had given up on pie, since we don't eat shortening. I will be trying it out you can bet. The thing you cut in the butter with is a pastry blender. You can also get a pastry cloth and rolling pin cover to take the place of your wax paper. They are much better. My mom used to be an awesome pie maker.

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