It's Apple pie Season!

Autumn, my favourite season of the year. The leaves turn colour, the weather is crisp, and it is also time for apple picking. Apple picking is one of my favourite fall activities to do with my family and friends. We always go to one place only; Downey’s Farm. Downey’s Farm has been around since 1920 and has been growing fruit, fun and memories. Since I was a little girl, my family and I would always go to the farm and pick the apples and pumpkins; it was our tradition.

Just this past Sunday, my friends and I went apple picking. They have a chart of which apples are ready to be harvest; Honeycrisp, Macintosh and Golden Delicious. While the day goes on, we’ve picked a lot of apples; enough to make six pies. When making apple pie, I prefer using a harder apple like the Honeycrisp or the Golden Delicious. The softer apples like the Macintosh will overcook and would become like apple sauce.

After a day of fun and laughs, it’s time to make the apple pie. Me personally, I like to make everything from scratch; from the crust to picking the apples from the tree. I don’t mind buying the crust or apples from the grocery store, but where’s the fun in that.

The recipe I like to use is from a great chef named Ricardo. I love his dishes and fresh doughs and they are simple to follow. Let’s start with the crust:

Pie crust Recipe:

5 1/2 cups (1.4 litres) unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt

2 cups (500 ml) unsalted butter

1 3/4 cups (430 ml) ice water

Directions:

1. In a food processor, pulse the flour and salt to combine. Add the butter and pulse a few times until the butter pieces are the size of peas. Add the water. Pulse until the dough just starts to hold together. Add more water if necessary. Remove the dough and shape into 8 discs. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

See, very simple. Now you can leave it in the fridge for 24 hours if you want. Or, if you want to keep it for future pies, you can freeze it for up to a month. Onwards to the apple pie filling:

Apple pie filling ingredients:

1/2 cup (125 ml) brown sugar

3 tablespoons (45 ml) cornstarch1

/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) ground nutmeg

6 mixed apples, peeled, cored and each cut into 16 wedges (Honeycrisp)

2 tablespoons (30 ml) unsalted butter, melted

Egg wash:

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon (15 ml) milk

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine egg yolk and milk. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir in apples and butter.

3. Divide the dough into 2 balls.

4. Line a 23-cm (9 inch) pie plate with the pie crust. Fill the apple mixture and lightly press. Brush the edges of the dough with water. Top with the second crust. Make an incision in the centre. Remove any excess dough and pinch the top and bottom crust together with a fork or fingers. Brush with egg wash and bake for 55 mins (until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

You and your loves ones can make this recipe to share and enjoy the wonderful memories like I do every year.

Ricardocuisine. “Basic Pie Crust.” Ricardo, 31 Aug. 2010, https://www.ricardocuisine.com/en/recipes/4373-basic-pie-crust.

Ricardocuisine. “Classic Apple Pie.” Ricardo, 1 Mar. 2011, https://www.ricardocuisine.com/en/recipes/4819-classic-apple-pie.