Apple Pie (Photo)
Having moved to San Diego, every fall our family without fail makes a trip to Julian, for its famous apple pies.
I also grew up eating apple pies that my mom made. She learnt how to make apple pies when they lived in Denmark in the '70s. Infact, once we returned to India and when my father would travel out of town on offical work, mom would take a break from routine Indian cooking, and make a big apple pie for her three children for dinner. The big apple pie that came out of the oven was not that big even, now that I think about it, our oven was a small table top oven. I remember I ate the most of it. I still do.
Here's how I learnt how to make Apple pie from my mom.
Put six peeled and sliced medium sized apples in a heavy bottom pot with lid. For some reason I prefer to use red apples (Fuji, Pink Crisp, Red delicious, or Gala variety). Next, put sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and 1 tbsp water. Boil and let the water evaporate, until the apples become syrupy and brown in color. Meanwhile take 3 cups of flour, and 2 4oz butter sticks. In a bowl crumble the butter and slowly mix the flour and butter with the tips of your hand. Before I forget, I typically like to use salted butter. Take a wet cloth and collect the flour into a ball. Wrap it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. Before preparing pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. On a flat surface lightly dust the surface with flour and using a roll pin flatten the dough, multiple times. Each time it will soften and the butter will seep into the layers of dough, which will levitate the crust to flaky texture when baking. Take a pie dish and place flattened dough disc on to the dish. With the remaining dough cut small strips placed them in lattice form on top of the apple filling. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool after taking out of the oven.
My son and I have it immediately after 10 minutes of cooling with a glass of milk. Simply delicieux!