As Easy as Apple Pie

As I have often mentioned on social media, I was poor for the majority of my life. It wasn't fun (sometimes it was a bit terrifying) but I did learn a lot of lessons. One of the things I learned was that you can get by while owning very little.

 This is especially true in the kitchen. There are SO MANY gadgets available - and you don't need 3/4 of them in order to be a great cook. Sure, some of them will make your life easier, but they are not essential.

 Today, I am posting a recipe for my daughter's birthday favorite, apple pie. It requires very few ingredients, no special kitchen tools, and it is still delicious! You don't even really have to know anything about baking.

 The first thing to do is take a shortcut and buy yourself a prepared crust. Don't I know how to make one? Of course. I used to mix up the ingredients with my fingers and now, have been graced with a food processor that does it for me. Even so, I still generally just buy the Pillsbury crusts that you roll out. This means you do not need a pastry cutter or a rolling pin. In addition, you can buy an aluminum foil pie pan so you don't need to own a special baking dish. See? You're already saving yourself money.

 I cut, peel, and core the apples with a small knife (the one I am using is missing a pin and the blade flops around, so one day I am going to massacre a finger). Again, no special tools even though some recipes will suggest using an apple corer and a vegetable peeler.

 Ready? Here we go!

 Apple Pie

 4-5 Granny Smith apples
3/4 cup white sugar (you can add a bit or reduce it a bit depending on the apples)
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
2 tablespoons of flour
2 tablespoons of butter
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Cut the apples into quarters. 
  3. Peel the quarters.
  4. Remove the core.
  5. Cut each section into thin slices.
  6. Add the slices to a large bowl.
  7. Gently stir the sugar, cinnamon, and flour into the apples.*
  8. Prepare the crust according to the directions.
  9. Place the bottom crust into your pan.
  10. Add the apple mixture.
  11. Cut the butter into small squares and dot the top of the pie.
  12. Place on the top crust. Usually I fold the edges of the top crust over the edges of the bottom crust and seal them. After that, I shape the edges with my fingers.
  13. Make a few cuts into the top of the pie to let the steam escape.

*You can taste the apple mixture to see if it is sweet enough. Very tart apples may require a bit more sugar.


NOTE: You should place the pie onto a baking sheet with sides that is lined with aluminum foil because no matter what I do, the juice seems to leak out at least a bit. This will save you from having clean up a giant mess.

 Bake the pie at 350 degrees for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, checking on it after an hour. It is done when the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbling.

 Let it cool to at least warm before eating.

 Let me know if you give it a try - or if you have any questions. 



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