Hello Saints! I’m back at it again with my old lady nonsense for you this week, and apparently just in time for the more frigid part of fall. Besides my love for knitting, I have also had a long-standing love of all sorts of baked goods and have found it to be another great way to de-stress after a long week. Baking is pretty versatile in its uses—from an easy way to make yummy, relatively cheap birthday gifts, to thank you gifts or bribes, there is truly a baked good for every occasion. With how brisk it has been this week, I thought it would be a perfect time to talk about one of my favorites: apple pie! The actual recipe isn’t too complex, but it is a bit time-consuming to make. However, many hands make light work, and this recipe also serves as a fun group activity.  

For the crust, you are going to need: 

2 ½ cups of flour  

1 tsp. salt  

1 ½ sticks of butter (3/4 cup) 

~8 tbsp. ice water 

For the filling, you are going to need: 

2 ½ lbs. of GREEN apples (the red ones get mealy after you bake them, and you’ll add plenty of sugar so don’t worry about sweetness) 

¾ cup granulated sugar 

2 tbsp. flour 

½ tsp. salt 

1 tsp. cinnamon 

¼ tsp. nutmeg 

Juice of ½ of a lemon 

All of this will go into a 9-inch pie tin, and it’s best to have some extra sugar and an egg on hand for the glaze.  

To make the crust, start by mixing together the flour and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Cut the butter into small cubes while it’s cold, then add it to the flour mix and use a fork to mix the cold butter and flour together. This takes a bit of time, but you’re trying to get the dough into little pea sized balls. Add the ice water a tablespoon at a time, then shape the dough into a ball and chill for one hour.  

While it chills, peel and core the apples before slicing them. You’ll need to use a sharp knife to slice them thinly, which is important to make sure that they cook all the way through. Place these slices into a nice big bowl and add all of the other filling ingredients on top. Now mix thoroughly and try not to get apple slices everywhere! Once it all looks evenly mixed and all of the slices are well coated, cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate for 45 minutes to an hour.  

Take the dough out of the fridge and while it is still in a ball, cut it in half. Roll out both halves into a vaguely circular shape. Place the first one into the pie tin and trim the edges so it hangs just a bit beyond the rim. Then take the filling out of the fridge, place it in the tin and take the other half of the dough and place it on top. Trim this down till its edges line up with the half you placed down first and crimp these two sides shut. Basically, pinch it together in little ridges all the way around as tight as you can. You’re trying to make sure that the filling can’t leak out while it bakes, so feel free to patch any holes with the trimmings. Cut four small holes in the center, on the top of the pie, to let out the steam.  Beat the egg and use a brush to wash it over the top of the dough. Then sprinkle the top with granulated sugar. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 50-60 minutes. The pie is best served with a side of vanilla ice cream, according to Dad. Enjoy the season Saints, and happy baking!