Homemade Pie Crust

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
• 1 cup unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into cubes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon vinegar – ice cold
• 6 to 8 tablespoons ice water

 

If you have time, after you have cut your butter, put it in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.
Put flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor or mixer and mix on high until everything is mixed well.
Add butter and pulse no more than 10 times, until the butter is corn size.
Add vinegar.
Add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing until your mixture starts to clump together.
If you can make a ball from all of the flour then it’s ready, if not keep adding water.
Split in two balls, wrap in plastic wrap and put in fridge while you make the filling.

Notes and tips: If this is the first time making this recipe, double it in case you run out. Make double especially if you’re making the weave on top of the pie like my picture.

Apple Caramel Filling

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• 5 Granny Smith apples – cored, peeled and sliced thinly
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 small package of Werther’s Original Chewy caramels (optional)
• 1 cup frozen blueberries or Saskatoon berries (optional)

 

 

Mix everything together except the apples, berries and lemon juice.
In another bowl mix fruit and lemon juice together and set aside.

Notes and Tips: Break up your caramel if you want better distribution.

Notes and Tips: The reason you don’t want to mix the dry ingredients with the apples until you are completely ready to pour into the crust is because it will become watery, thus making your apple pie fall apart when serving.

Assembly
Preheat oven to 425º

Roll out one ball of dough into about one centimeter thick.
Make sure you flour your counter and your rolling pin or the dough will stick to them.
Place it onto your 9 to 12 inch pan. I used a flatter 12 inch pan, but you can use whatever you have.
Fork the dough at the bottom of the pan so that steam can come out of the bottom.
Cut off any access dough around the edges.
Put the pan with the bottom piecrust in it in the fridge while you prepare the strips.
Roll out the second ball of dough the same way you did the first one.
Cut the dough with a knife into long strips.
Take the piecrust from the fridge.
Mix apples with sugar mixture and pour over piecrust.
Place each strips horizontally and others vertically and wave them like a basket over the apples.
Make sure you don’t weave the strips too close together or there wont be any holes so steam can escape.
You could also just roll out the second ball of dough (don’t cut it) and place it over the apples. Just make sure you cut a few holes so steam can escape.
Pinch down the sides so that the two crusts press together.
Mix an egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush the crust.
Place pie in the oven and turn oven down to 350.
Bake for 40 minutes or until you can stick a fork in the apples and the crust is golden brown.
Let stand or 15 minutes until it cools. Cut and serve with your favorite ice cream.

Notes and Tips: You may want to place the pie in a cookie sheet incase it overflows during baking.

Notes and Tips: The next day the pie tastes amazing cold because the caramel hardens a little and it’s just really yummy!