Ron’s Apple Pie

At certain times of the year, a large supermarket chain in the Time Zone and at the Latitude Where I Live sells irregularly shaped tarts filled with lemon, raspberry, and perhaps some sort of custard. Although many bakeries sell filled tarts, the appeal of these particular tarts lies in their imperfect shape: They look hand-filled - not machine-made. 

Many years ago, the kids of my generation felt that the best baking was “store-bought” because families needed a certain income level or “status” to buy it, whatever “it” was. As we grew older and more savvy, we prized goods that were “home-made” because someone needed to be home to make them, and that needed a certain income level or “status” to achieve. North Americans are now trending to paying someone to prepare the specialized look and taste of “home-made” because we lack the time, energy, and often the skill to do it ourselves. 

I think the tarts in question fit into the latter category: Because they look and taste “home-made,” they convey a certain “status” on the person who buys and serves them. Lemon, raspberry, and custard also just happen to be a dynamite combination!

The Life of Pie: Lyndsay and Sydney

A short while ago, Ron made a traditional, man-sized apple pie. Ron isn’t the fussy type: He slapped down some pastry and was done with it, super-fast. If his pastry has fluted edges, or fancy pastry cut-outs of little leaves and twigs, I’m the one who adds those finishing touches. Ron’s pies are often imperfectly shaped, looking and tasting like “home.” And that’s why everybody loves them.

Ron’s Apple Pie:

To Prepare the Pastry:

Consult the Index under Pies: Pastry (Double-Crust). Ron’s 12-in. pie required enough pastry for 1-½-to-2 Double-Crust pastry recipes. For a standard-sized Apple Pie in an 8- or 9-in. pie pan, make enough pastry for just one Double-Crust Pie (as the ingredients and method for this recipe direct) and halve the amount of filling Ron used for his oversized pie. No matter what size pie you make, line pan with thinly rolled pastry, allowing ¾-in. overhang. Set remaining pastry aside until required for top crust.

To Prepare the Filling:

14-to-16 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced (see Note)
2 tbsp. (30 mL) lemon juice
1-¼ c. (310 mL) sugar
2 tsp. (10 mL) cinnamon
¼ c. (60 mL) all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. (30 mL) butter
Yolk of 1 egg
½ tsp. (2.5 mL) milk

Preheat oven to 425 deg. F. In large bowl, toss sliced apples with lemon juice. In a medium bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, and flour, mixing well. Add to apples, mixing until slices are evenly coated. Heap apples generously into pastry-lined pan. Dot with butter. 

Roll top crust as pastry recipe directs, sliding pastry over apple filling and allowing ¾-in. (19 mm) overhang. Trim, double over, and flute pastry as recipe directs. Slash crust in several places to prevent air bubbles from forming under pastry.

Combine egg yolk and milk in small bowl, brushing lightly over pastry. Place pie in deep freeze for 10-to-15 min. to harden fluted pastry edge. Transfer to oven, baking 10 min. to brown lightly. Reduce heat to 350 deg. F. Bake 45-to-50 min. until apples bubble through vents in top crust and crust appears golden. Serve warm or chilled. Yields one over-sized pie with 8-to-10 large slices.

14-to-16 medium-sized apples should do it!

Peel, core, slice, and toss with lemon juice

Combine apple slices with cinnamon-sugar 

Heap sweetened, spiced apples into bottom pastry layer

Roll out pastry for top crust

High-flutin’ pastry holds in the apples’ goodness!

Brush with yolk and milk.  Freeze briefly before baking