Back at the end of October, I had a wonderful visit to TBA Farms. In addition to slaughtering chickens, drinking homebrew, observing sausage making, walking by the lake, being kind of scared of the dog, and meeting and having a ton of fun with a million lovely people, I (with a crew of helpers) made 5 apple pies for the big feast.
The thing is, I don’t really use a recipe for apple pie. But here’s what I do:
-First, I make a batch of Martha Stewart’s pate brisee. Divide it in half and chill for at least an hour.
-While the dough is chilling, peel 5 or 7 apples, depending on how big they are. Chop them up. I like a mixture of bite-sized chunks and thin slices, with more chunks than slices overall.
-Place the prepared apples in a large bowl and top with a few tablespoons (about a half a large lemon’s worth) fresh lemon juice, 1 or 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 3 or 4 tablespoons granulated sugar, a teaspoon cinnamon, and any other spices you might like. Some good options are 1/4 teaspoon of ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, mace, or anything like that. Mix everything up (I think your hands are the best tool for this part).
-Roll out half the pie dough and place it in a pie plate. Add the apples, making sure you’ve got enough to make a nice dome. Roll out the second half of the dough and pace it over the apples. Pinch the sides together and then turn the crust under and trim the excess or pinch it to make a pretty fluted edge. Cut a few vents in the top to allow the steam to escape.
-Bake the pie in a preheated 375 degree oven for about an hour and twenty minutes or until the top is nice and toasty brown, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time. Remove from the oven and cool for at least an hour before cutting.
Pies at TBA Farms Feast
Apple pies are really pretty simple. Just make one a few times to figure out what your favorite amounts are and then you can make it any time you’ve got apples!
