Apple Crumb Pie

A number of years back when we lived where one can pick fresh apples from an orchard throughout the fall, some friends came for a visit so we introduced them to apple picking at one of our favorite family-friendly orchards.  Once we were home with many tasty apples, my good friend J and I set right to work in an effort to make the perfect pie!

After searching through the many available recipes before us, we decided that the best pie would come from a hybrid recipe.  We took what we liked from a number of recipes and came up with what is now the favorite apple pie recipe for both J's family and ours!  This is the recipe I used for our Thanksgiving '09 apple pie and here it is now, hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Apple Crumb Pie

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Pie Crust:

1 1/4 C all purpose flour

1/4 TSP salt

1/3 C shortening (regular or butter flavored)

4-5 TBS cold water

1. Sift together flour and salt.  Using a pastry blender cut in shortening until all pieces are pea-size.

2. Sprinkle 1 TBS water over small portion of mixture.  Gently toss moistened mixture with fork.  Push  moistened dough to side of bowl.  Repeat moistening of dough 1 TBS of water at a time until all dough is moistened.  Form dough into a ball.

3. On lightly floured surface, use hands to slightly flatten dough.  Using rolling pin, roll dough from center to edges into a circle about 12 inches in diameter.

4. To transfer pastry, carefully wrap it around the rolling pin.  Unroll pastry into 9 inch pie plate--be careful not to stretch or tear the pastry.  Trim to fit the pie plate and crimp edges if desired.

Apple filling:

1 C sugar

1/3 C flour

1 TSP ground nutmeg

1 TSP ground cinnamon

A dash of salt

6 C thinly sliced apples (our favorite to use: Cortland Apples)

3 TBS butter

Stir together sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.  Mix in apples.  Dot pie crust with butter.  Put apple mixture into pie crust. 

Crumb Topping:

1/2 C all purpose flour

1/2 C firmly packed light brown sugar

1 TSP ground cinnamon

1/2 TSP ground nutmeg

1/4 C (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

In a small bowl combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Using a fork stir in butter until coarse crumbs form.  Sprinkle topping evenly over pie filling.

Cover edges of pie with 2-3 inches of foil (cut a circle out of the middle of the foil to leave the center of the pie exposed.)  Bake for 35-40 mins.  Remove foil from pie during last 15 mins.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and enjoy!

Red Skinned Mashed Potatoes

Looking for a twist on tradition? Want to add something a little different to your Thanksgiving dinner menu? Give this a try, it's a YUMMY family favorite.

6 large red skin potatoes
1 stick butter or margarine
1/4 c. milk
1/4 c. sour cream
6 green onions, chopped (optional)
Shredded cheese (pick your favorite and add to taste.)
Salt and pepper to taste.

Wash potatoes thoroughly.
Chop potatoes into medium sized slices, LEAVE the peels on!
Boil for about a half-hour (or until soft.)
Drain off all the water.
Add butter, milk, sour cream, green onions, and cheese.
Whip together well.
Season to taste.
Serve with some shredded cheese sprinkled on top and enjoy!

On the sixteenth day of December...

Due to M and his on going asthma, we didn't get over to Cub Scout Pack Meeting--I'm the new Pack Committee Chairperson--but we still made some YUMMY Cocoa Krispy Treats to send over to the meeting. The boys had a good time helping to make the treats!

M measures out the cereal.

This is the ONLY kind of "butter" that is safe for us to use when cooking for M as it doesn't contain any dairy.

This is what it looks like when melting--almost like the real thing; tastes pretty close to it too.

Using the usual recipe, we just split the amount between regular rice krispies and cocoa krispies. Yum-o!

Once measured out, Li'l J helped get the cereal ready to be mixed once the sauce was done. Each boy took a turn mixing the sauce as well as mixing the cereal with the sauce.

Sadly, as I was cleaning up from making treats I noticed one of our three fish was having some serious issues keeping it's balance. I decided it was time to call the boys over so they could say their farewells to M's fish "Mr. Big Bucks" (named so for his dollar-bill green color) aka "Diego the fish" (Li'l J's name for M's fish). Good thing I did, as it wasn't too long after the good-byes that he did expire.

Mr. Big Bucks swimming with Nemo.

Our tenderhearted M doesn't handle goodbyes well, so it was good he had a little while to spend with Mr. Big Bucks before he headed off to the big sea.

Our little monkey, Li'l J, just had to have a closer look!