Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site ism780c.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!bellcore!decvax!ittatc!dcdwest!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!ism780c!dianeh From: dianeh@ism780c.UUCP (Diane Holt) Newsgroups: net.cooks Subject: Re: Recipe request for apple pie Message-ID: <531@ism780c.UUCP> Date: Sat, 8-Feb-86 04:03:11 EST Article-I.D.: ism780c.531 Posted: Sat Feb 8 04:03:11 1986 Date-Received: Tue, 11-Feb-86 06:26:49 EST References: <157@mit-vax.UUCP> Reply-To: dianeh@ism780c.UUCP (Diane Holt) Organization: Interactive Systems Corp., Santa Monica, CA Lines: 72 [I'm posting this to the net because I couldn't find a mail path. Maybe there are other apprentice pie-makers out there; if you're not one, I'd suggest 'n'ing on by.] In article <157@mit-vax.UUCP> slk@mit-vax.UUCP (Siu-Ling Ku) writes: >Can anyone send me a FAST and EASY method to make apple pie (filling), Sure. Peel and slice a bunch of tart apples (If you don't have a handy, dandy corer-slicer, this part may go slowly, so you can sprinkle the apple slices with lemon juice as you go to prevent them from browning). Mix together a little flour (a few tablespoons for sloopier filling; more for thicker filling), some sugar (more if the apples are *very* tart; less if they're sweeter to start with, or if you prefer less sweet pie), some cinnamon (and any other spices you like that mix well with cinnamon [I like to add a few shakes of grated orange peel and some raisins, too]); add to the sliced apples and stir to coat thoroughly. >...I intend to buy ready made crusts. Why? Ready-made crusts are vastly inferior to homemade, and homemade pie crust is very easy. If you've got a food processor, it's *incredibly* easy. You put some water in the freezer before you start so that it gets good and cold. You put the flour and a little salt in the processor, and pulse it a few times, then you add butter that's been cut into chunks, and process it until it's the consistency of corn meal. Then, with the processor running, you add (I think it's 3 tablespoons of) the cold water. This doesn't seem like it would be enough to do anything, but it magically forms itself into a ball in just a couple of seconds. Then you take it out and roll it out. If you don't have a food processor, the only time-consuming part of the process is cutting the butter into the flour, but a pastry cutter still makes this relatively easy (until I got my processor, ,I used to use two knives, stroking them back and forth in opposing directions through the flour and butter -- this was fairly dull and tedious, but still didn't take that long, and the homemade crust was well worth the effort). >...I have never seen a how a fruit pie is >being made, so please include detail procedures such as how to put the two >crusts together etc. After you've rolled out the crust, fold it in half, then in half again the other way. Place the point in the center of the pie pan, and unfold from one direction, then the other. Ooops, I forget to tell you to first divide the dough ball in half, then roll them out. Once you've got the crust in the pan, take a knife and trim the crust around the edge of the pan. The top crust is sort of up for grabs. You can cut the other rolled out crust into strips and do a cross-hatch pattern, or you can just use it whole. If you're going to use it whole, you should first cut out some holes in it to allow steam to escape -- be creative, and cut them into nice shapes, then attach the shapes (or others from left-over dough) to the top (not in the holes). If you want a glossy crust, you can brush on a some milk or egg white mixed with a little water. Also, you can sprinkle a little cinnamon-suger mixture on the top. Bake the pie at a high temperature (~425) for about 10 minutes, then turn it down to ~350 and let it bake for about another 40 minutes. If it looks like the edge of the crust may be getting too done, you can cover the edge with tin foil. Oh yeah, putting the crusts together: once you've got the top crust on, you can press the crusts together along the edge in any number of ways: you can use the tines of a fork, or you can pinch ridges in it, or you can just pinch it flat -- whatever tickles your fancy. For exact proportions and baking times, consult any friendly cookbook (I'm sitting at my desk upstairs with a contented, fat, orange cat in my lap, otherwise, I'd go downstairs for mine.) Anyway, I hope this helps. Have fun with it -- that's what cooking should be. Diane Holt INTERACTIVE Systems Corp. (east coast:) ihnp4!allegra!ima!ism780!dianeh (west coast:) decvax!vortex!ism780!dianeh "Is it *soup*, yet?"