Earlier this month I had mentioned that I was going to go pick apples with family and friends at DuBois Farm. We all went yesterday and had a fabulous time! Besides the apple picking, the food was yummy and the foliage was beautiful.
The apple treats for sale were especially delicious…
Unfortunately, all of the apple pies were sold out before we arrived at the farm. That’s alright, because my husband has been wanting me to bake an apple pie from a particular recipe for a while. Reggie loves apple pie more than anyone that I know. He always raved about “the best apple pie ever” that one of his former bosses had baked. She was kind enough to give me her recipe, so I’m sharing it with you.
Laura’s Apple Pie
Ingredients
Makes one 9-inch double-crust pie.
· 2 Pie Crusts (I’m assuming that you have your favorite recipe – I still use the Crisco recipe, trans-fat be damned – or pre-made. My Mom now swears by the rolled Pillsbury crusts.)
· 3-4 pounds combination of Granny Smith and Cortland, Empire, Rome apples (can be all Granny Smith) Usually about 6-10 apples depending on size of apple and the height you want the pie)
· 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (You can also add some lemon zest)
· 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
· 1/4 cup granulated sugar
· 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
· 1 – 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (depends on the number of Apples and taste)
· 1 – 1.5 teaspoon combination ground nutmeg, ginger, cloves, allspice (or Pumpkin Pie Spice already mixed)
· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (real, not imitation)
· 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
· Milk for wash and sugar and cinnamon for sprinkling
Directions
1. Peel, core and slice apples (not too thin, not to thick).
2. Toss together apples, lemon juice, sugars, vanilla and all the spices in a large bowl. Let set for a few minutes and taste to determine if you should add more sugar or spices. Sprinkle in flour and mix in apples to thicken the juice.
3. Place filling in pie crust, mounding it in the center. Dot with butter. (I sometimes top with an additional streusel topping of brown sugar, cinnamon and sometimes chopped walnuts before adding the crust. You can also add dried cranberries or cherries to apples.)
4. Add top crust, Crimp edge and wash with milk and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. (You can also do an egg wash (egg yolk and a tablespoon of milk or cream) Cut several steam vents into crust. (Of course, since I’m participating in an Eggland’s Best program this month, I will be using their eggs.)
5. If the Pie Crust has gotten very soft, refrigerate pie for ½ hour before baking
6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place pie on middle rack. (You can put it on a cookie sheet – which makes it easier to remove without breaking the edge of the crust, or put a a foil-lined baking sheet on lower rack to catch any juices.)
7. Bake until crust begins to turn golden brown, about 15 – 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees, and bake until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 45 to 50 minutes more. Let stand at least 30 minutes before serving. Tent with foil if crust browns too quickly.
Getting back to the farm…the only thing that I didn’t like was the restroom area – actually it was just a series of portable toilet units. As Sean said, “It was yucky!” Overall though, I would definitely visit again…I would just make sure to have everyone use the bathroom right before we got there. I took over 100 pictures, so if you want to see what a day at the farm is like, you can view the images below:
(On a related note, leave me a note in the comments if you went apple picking this season. If you wrote about it, I’ll add your link to the end of this post. It’s always great to get first-hand accounts of different spots!)
