We dropped into Trader Joe’s a few days ago to pick up the frozen pastry dough they only carry during the holiday season. It’s made in France using butter (instead of oil) and costs less than five buck for a couple of slab (one of which turned into a tomato, onion and cheese galette, the other into last night’s tray of spanakopita). But I digress. While we were there, my wife picked up a box of their pie frozen crusts and today we made our favorite apple pie recipe - what is possibly the world’s best - for Thanksgiving (but unfortunately ate nearly half of it tonight). It is based on one made by Miller’s Smorgasbord and Bakery in Lancaster Pennsylvania (picked up a few decades ago).
Anyhow, its simplicity belies its wonderful flavor.
Jeff
Special Apple Cranberry Pie
Pastry for a double crust 9" pie
Filling:
5 cups peeled, cored, thinly sliced apples (preferably Rome or Delicious), about 4-5 medium sized apples
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup pecan pieces
3 Tablespoon. butter
3/4 cup sugar+ 1/4 cup (or less) for top crust
1+1/2 Tablespoon. cornstarch
1 teaspoon. cinnamon
1 beaten egg with 2 Tablespoons of water for egg-wash
Mix sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon.
Toss the apples, raisins, cranberries and pecans in the sugar mixture.
Mount into shell and dot with butter before putting top crust on.
Either lattice the top crust or cut slits radiating from the center
Brush top crust with 1 egg beaten with 2 Tablespoon. water and sprinkle top crust with sugar.
Wrap edges of pie crust with aluminum foil to prevent burning
Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 1 hour.
Yield: 1–9" pie