Spiced Apple Pie

i wasn’t feeling too well the few days leading up to Thanksgiving, so i didn’t get to attempt all the recipes i would’ve liked. however, i did make a pumpkin cream pie that was posted on the Pioneer Woman’s blog (thanks to my fellow Chi Omega sister Kelly for the suggestion!!) and it was excellent! it has a great, light, creamy pumpkin flavor, but without being too rich, which means you can have a really big piece without feeling sick!! (btw…i have plans to try some of the other pumpkin recipes you guys passed on to me too! i’ll keep you posted on those!)

i also made my favorite traditional apple pie. i found this recipe a few years back and have made it every year for Thanksgiving since. its none other than a Martha Stewart creation, and you can click here to see all the ins and outs. i won’t repost the actual recipe with all the tips, but i’ll show you some steps along the way.

i love this pie because it tastes AMAZING, fresh, sweet, and tangy all at the same time, and it looks really festive and unique.

i had every intention of making my own Pate Brisee, but my body just wasn’t gonna let me do that this year. and although i’m sure Martha would have a hissy if she knew i used store bought dough for her recipe, i think it turned out just fine. so i give you the freedom to not feel the pressure to make your own dough. (afterall…the store bought kind is already rolled out, so it makes it so super simple!! i’m thinking the Pillsbury Dough Boy and Martha Stewart should maybe become friends. i bet they could do some damage as a team!)

anyway…to begin:

unroll another pie crust (for this recipe, i used 3 pie crusts, so one and 1/2 boxes of refrigerated dough). to cut rounds, i used a scalloped edged biscuit cutter, which was about 1 3/4 inches in diameter. you can be creative here and use something that is similar in size.
i bought this brand new apple peeler at a garage sale. its maybe one of the best purchaes i’ve ever made! if you can find one for cheap, i suggest getting it. its amazing, and i’m thinking it could maybe work on potatoes too….i’ll have to try that out and let you know!
i peeled all these apples in less than 4 minutes. typically that would’ve taken me a LONG time!!

combine apples in a large bowl and add in other ingredients:

make an egg wash by slightly beating together one egg yolk and 1 tablespoon heavy cream.

after its chilled for 1 hour, bake pie at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, to brown the crust. then bake for another hour or so at 375 degrees, until bubbly. tent crust with foil if its getting too brown.

just to note…this is the first year that i’ve made this pie without setting off my smoke alarm. the juices in this pie WILL drip over and the sugar will burn in the bottom of your oven. so place a foil lined cookie sheet on the bottom rack, below the rack with your pie, to catch the dripping juices! it will save your oven and your house from lots of smoke!

i’m hoping to come back later with a quick little book review on a children’s Christmas book that i think every family should enjoy this holiday season!