My Second Place Apple Pie

Yesterday I made an apple pie.  My son, Tim is coming up for a week.  Peeling the apples takes some time so I pulled up a bar stool to the kitchen sink.

I love making pies but I only do it now when I am expecting company.  My apple pie recipe once won second prize in a Mother's Day apple pie contest.  I entered the contest because first prize was a Cuisinart food processor and I didn't have one but wanted one in the worst way.  Second prize was described as an entourage of kitchen linens and third prize was a year's supply of apples. I had three sons at home so even third prize looked good to me.  A couple of weeks after Mother's Day I got word I had won second prize.  It arrived two days later.  The entourage of kitchen linens turned out to be an pot holder, an apron, and a tea towel.

The recipe I submitted for the crust was made by cutting the butter into the flour with a pastry blender (since I didn't have a food processor).  Now, years later I have a food processor so I use Martha Stewart's recipe for Pate Brisee on page 198 from her book, Pies & Tarts.  I love her philosophy that it should only take 45 seconds to make a pie crust.

Second Place Apple Pie

Make the dough for the pie crust and refrigerate it while the apples are being peeled and sliced.  I make the top crust as lattice strips (1/4 inch wide).  It takes time but I find it self-satisfying and the results are so beautiful.  I use a bicycle to cut the strips.  A bicycle is a cutting tool which can be adjusted to the width of the strips you want.  It is sold in specialty food shops and food equipment catalogs.  It is pricey but I think if you love making pies it is worth the money.  I bought mine at Surfas in Culver City.  It is a favorite shop for chefs and food lovers like me.

Filling and Glaze

Filling:

8 large Granny Smith Apples, cored,  peeled and sliced

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons Calvados (apple brand
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

Mix apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon, heavy cream, and Calvados in a large mixing bowl.  Add to bottom crust which has been rolled out to fit 9-10 inch pastry shell which is slightly overlapping the pie pan.  Dot with the butter evenly over the filling.

Strips can be cut to desired width.  If you don't 
have a bicycle, use a straight edge to cut the 
strips.  Start from the center to braid the 
pastry across the filling overlapping the edge.
Crimp the edges and trim off the excess.
Bake at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes until
golden brown.

May be served with ice cream and Calvados
Sauce:

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons Calvados
Pinch cinnamon

Combine all in a small pan over low heat until almost boiling.  Serve with pie.