One of my resolutions for 2013 was to learn to make an apple pie.
This is how far I got. In March I discovered an interesting book called How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World
, and put it in my shopping cart on Amazon. Work and then writing consumed most of my attention. Plus, I balked at buying a pie pan which I’d only be using once or twice a year. Not to mention a rolling pin for the pastry. But then my landlady invited me for Thanksgiving dinner (as she always does, bless her) and I realized I could watch and help her make the apple pie. So I turned up, notebook in hand and asked what the measurements were.
She looked faintly puzzled, reached for a bag of sugar and tossed a handful into a bowl. Flour was meted out in much the same way. I wrote down, “Eyeball it”.
Then we peeled a huge bowl of Macintosh apples together. Or at least she used a knife and peeled lovely long coils that she could have tossed over her shoulder to form whole sentences. I brought my vegetable peeler, which carved off little shreddy bits that either kept spattering me or having to be removed from between the two blades.
At least I managed to slice the apples without any difficulty while she rolled out the pastry. Then we piled apples, flour, sugar, ground cinnamon, grated nutmeg and butter into the crust and put the top on. She crimped the two crusts together and I poked a few holes into the top one. It wouldn’t have won any pie competitions looks-wise, but it tasted pretty good with ice cream and I got to take a huge slice home as well.
And since I forgot to take a picture of my first pie, here’s one of me dressed up for Thanksgiving dinner instead, new haircut and all.
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5 comments:
First off, love the new cut. It looks very sophisticated.
Re: apple pie
I had a little old lady teach me. The filling isn't the problem for me. It was the crust.
I learned to always have the water for the crust ice cold (as in have ice cubes in it) and not to overwork the crust.
It takes practice to make it beautiful. Hubby had to settle for edible. LOL.
It's a great feeling to cross a resolution all the list . . . all the more so because it's late in the year and you didn't forget. (I clicked over here from AW, btw. I'm ralf58 there.)
Oh yum! Freshly baked apple pie. I let my husband do that, as I tend to kill certain recipes, unfortunately. (I'm stormie on AW. :) )
Maria - Thank you! I think this is the first time in my life I've looked older than 25.
Of course I shall stay 26 for a very long time.
My landlady uses ice cubes in the water as well. I'm not sure what happens if the water is anything less than freezing.
Hi Ruth! Yes, it's a good feeling. Maybe I should have made more resolutions.
Anne - Hi, Stormie, good to see you here. :) I polished off the last of the pie today. It will be missed.
It's quite the thing to watch someone make an apple pie from scratch, especially without seeming to measure anything. You might try the website Joyofbaking dot com which has a great appled pie recipe. Try making the pie crust with butter which allows one to work the pastry a little more.
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