Old Fashion Apple Pie

You’ve heard the old saying before,” As American as Apple Pie” Well, this time it’s “O Canada, it’s time to make Apple Pie.”

I’m not sure why, but I always get this urge to make an Apple Pie in December- Go figure! My Apple Pie by Chef Bari is using the 7-Up Pie Crust version, this time around.

Here’s the recipe for 7-Up Pie Crust :

NOTE : Make sure your Lard is room temperature before starting to make crust. Take out 20 minutes from Fridge. If from the freezer, leave out for a good hour. Anyway – onto making the crust —–>

Ingredients:

5 cups Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 lb of Lard ( Tenderflake or whatever- doesn’t matter)

1 cup of 7-Up ( funny thing is I didn’t have 7-Up and used Ginger-ale instead. It’s the fizz that matters. Maybe I should have called it the Ginger Fizz Pie Crust – LOL)

Method:

Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add salt and mix.

Cut Lard (medium size cubes) into flour mixture.

NOW mix by hand ( wash hands first). Keep mixing until a course mix. NOW add one cup of 7-Up. (Just remember the more you mix, the tougher your dough will be. The trick is not to over mix. ) Just enough that’s all combined.

Place in Saran Wrap in the fridge for approximately 1/2 hour.
PREHEAT OVEN AT 400 degree F ( But remember we will turn down the temperature to 350 degrees after the pie has been cooking for 15 minutes)

Apple Pie Filling

Ingredients:

10 Apples ( if small apples, make that 12 ). CUT, core and slice into thin slices

1 cup of Brown Sugar

2 cups of White Sugar

1 tablespoon of Cinnamon

3 tablespoons of Lemon Juice

3 tablespoons of cornstarch.

2 tablespoons of butter ( used during the very last step)

Method:

Mix all together after the long chore of preparing your apples. To me this is such a boring task but worth it in the final product.

NOW – Take out 7-Up Pie dough. If you have a large pie plate, like I do, CUT dough in half. Sprinkle flour onto table or counter. Begin rolling out the dough. First make in a nice rectangular thick piece. Flip over and ( using roller) begin rolling out.

TIP : You will have to release the flatten out pie dough by slowly sliding a metal lifter underneath, carful not to disturb or break your pie dough. Once you have rolled out to approximately 1/16 of an inch, carefully fold pie dough in half. This will allow you to carefully lay it over your pie plate or tin. Now flip the other half into the the pie plate. Press out evenly, covering the whole pie plate or tin. Don’t worry about the overhang of dough as of yet.

NEXT:

Place in your Apple Pie Filling evenly. Put to the side.

TIP : I like to lightly press down my Apple filling to make sure there’s no air pockets

NOW – Roll out second half of pie dough the same as the first. Lay nicely over the Apple filling.
NOW – Trim the sides with a paring knife ( small knife) Along the edges, Press the dough with two fingers throughout the outer perimeter of the pie. See photo to see how I did it.
NOW – Cut small even slits around the pie and maybe a couple in the center, like I did.
NOW – Place your pies or pie into your preheated oven at 400 degrees. Set timer for 15 minutes. Let Pie cook for 15 minutes.
NOW – Turn down heat to 350 degrees F and let cook for an additional 45 minutes. ( NOTE : If you’re using a much smaller pie tin, check pie after 30 minutes. My pie plate is huge ! Which I really enjoy. Your guests are pretty impressed with the size of pie you serve.

AND – that’s about it !

Enjoy your Apple Pie with your friends and family and make sure you get bragging rights!

Cheers! Chef Bari

Please support my efforts by buying my published cookbook, Canadian Recipes of the Great White North by Chef Bari. Have a wonderful December season everyone and Happy Baking !