The Cook's Corner - Grandma's Apple Pie

Happy Friday! Welcome to the "Cook's Corner". I hope everyone is set for a relaxing weekend. I know many in blogland are committed to "unplug" today but since I unplug most every Saturday and Sunday, I thought I would share this one last post before the week ended. I am starting to plan some of my Easter dishes and pulled out an oldie but goodie - Grandma's Apple Pie made with fresh, tart Granny Smith apples.
I love apples! And Granny Smith apples are my favorite. When I was a little girl, I remember picking apples off my Grand-dad's orchard trees. Grandma's apple pie was a real treat and still today Apple Pie and French Vanilla ice cream is my favorite dessert. I love to eat it piping hot, fresh from the oven, drizzled with caramel syrup and a big scoop of ice cream. This Easter an Apple Pie is on my list of recipes. Grandma's pie has a little secret that I will share with you today. She always claimed that this "added ingredient" was what made her pie so special and fresh tasting. The secret is grated lemon zest! Does anyone else out there use lemon zest in their Apple Pies? I'd love to hear about it if you do. Grandma always used 1/2 teaspoon of zest and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. It was the best! Let's look at the recipe.
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Grandma's Apple Pie
1 pkg. refrigerated pie crusts
(Grandma used to make her own but as ready made crusts improved in texture and flavor, she switched to save time and effort.)
2 1/2 pounds of Granny Smith apples (about 5 large apples or 7 medium)
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
milk and sugar for leaf garnish
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1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll 1 piecrust to a 14-inch circle. Place piecrust in a 9-inch pie plate, allowing access to hang over the edge.
2. Peel and core the apples, then cut them into 1/4 inch slices. In a large bowl, toss the apples slices with the lemon zest and lemon juice. In a smaller bowl, mix the sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Add to the apples, toss to coat well.
3. Spoon the apple mixture and any juices into the piecrust, forming a mound in the center. Cut the butter into pieces, dot over the filling.
4. Roll the remaining piecrust to a 14-inch circle. Fold it in half, lift over pie, place the fold in the center then unfold the crust. Pinch the top and the bottom edges together. Trim the extra crust overhang to 1/2 inch. Fold the dough under making it flush with the pie-plate edge. Crimp crust edge to seal. Cut slits or vents to allow steam to escape while baking.
5. Roll out crust trimmings and cut into leaf shaped designs then score "veins". (I found a cookie cutter that works great for this.) Brush the back of the leaves with milk and place on top of pie. Brush the tops with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Next, cover the edge of your pie with a 2-inch strip of foil. This will prevent your crust's edge from becoming overly brown.
6. Bake your pie for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the crust is lightly browned and the juices are bubbling - about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool the pie for 20 minutes if you want to eat it nice and warm or for 1 hour if you like it cooled. Either way it is DELICIOUS!

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Next week we have a lot going on here at Carolina Panache. I have more recipes planned from the Cook's Corner, I'm gonna show you how to make Jelly-Bean Pots. This is a great way to involve your kids in some Easter Treats. I'm also putting together a very special Easter Basket. Thursday I will feature a thrifty Easter tablescape featuring finds from Everything's A Dollar store. I do hope you will visit. Until then,

Happy Cooking!

~Alisa