French Apple Pie

This is one of my favorite pies. I like the crumb 

topping and that the apples are not mushy.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons flour 

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

6 cups (about 2 pounds) peeled & sliced Granny Smith apples

1/2 cup plumped raisins (optional)

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust
Streusel Topping:
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
Icing:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
milk or water

Method:
To plump raisins, put them in a small saucepan and cover with just enough rum or brandy to cover. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes. Drain any excess liquid and set aside. (Water can be used instead of the alcohol. If desired, add 1/2 teaspoon of rum or brandy extract to the water.) Mix sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl that can hold 7 to 8 cups. Peel and slice apples, removing core and seeds. Add apples, raisins and lemon juice and lightly toss. Set aside for 30 minutes or longer.

Preheat oven to 400*. Prepare pie crust. Carefully add apple mixture to pie crust. To prepare streusel topping, combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the apples.

Place pie on a cookie sheet and place inside of oven. (This makes it easier to remove the pie, when it has finished baking.) Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375* and continue baking for 35 minutes longer. (To prevent the top and crust from becoming too brown, after 25 minutes, a piece of aluminum foil can be placed on top of the pie.) To prepare icing, sift powdered sugar into a small bowl. Add just enough milk or water to make of drizzling consistency. (about 2 - 4 teaspoons) Remove foil and pie from oven. Drizzle with icing while still warm. Cool at least 10 minutes before serving. If desired, serve with whipped or ice cream.

Perfect Pie Crust

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup (1/2 butter & 1/2 shortening)

3 - 4 tablespoons chilled water

Method:

In a mixing bowl, sift together flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, or two knives, cut in butter and shortening until pieces are the size of small peas. Next, use your fingers to continue mixing until the flour resembles cornmeal. 

Sprinkle one tablespoon of the water over a part of the flour mixture and gently toss with a fork.  Push to side of bowl. Repeat until all of the flour is moistened. Form the dough into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, flatten the dough with your hands. Roll dough from the center to the edges, forming a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Wrap pastry around rolling pin. Unroll from pin over a 9 inch pie pan. Ease dough into the pie pan, while being careful not to stretch the pastry. Trim dough to a 1/2 inch beyond the edge of the pie plate, folding under extra pastry around the edge. Use fingers to pinch dough into a scalloped edge. (Save leftover scraps of dough to make "crust cookies".)

 Notes: I like the raisins, but my husband, Greg, prefers the pie without raisins. When he was a child, his mother made "cookies" with leftover pieces of pie dough. As soon as the pie comes out of the oven, I place a tray of crust pieces, sprinkled with cinnamon  or colored sugar, in the preheated oven. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes. (Greg is delighted when I do this.)