And We're Cooking...,

The best apple pie!

Prep Time: 1hr

Total Time: 2hr 

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 

2 sticks unsalted butter (placed in the freezer for an hour) 

2 tablespoons sugar 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

5-7 tablespoons ice water 

5 Granny Smith apples 

1 gala apple 

1/3 cup sugar 

1/4 cup brown suger

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 

1/8 teaspoon allspice 

1/8 teaspoon clove (optional)

3 tablespoons applesauce

1 tablespoon lemon juice (bottled is fine) 

Now most of these ingredients are to make the crust but I used frozen pie crust instead. I will include the directions for those who want to take that on. 

Look at my new toy

Who wants to peel, core and cut 6 apples not I. They sale this great thing at bed bath and beyond. 

Team work makes the dream work and in this case made the baking prep go faster. 

Once apples are ready place in bowl add lemon juice. Add all suger, spices, and applesauce. Mix well. 

Preheat oven 425 degrees.

Place mixture in pie dish. Add apples, but reserve the liquid at the bottom. Pour a tablespoon of the liquid on top of the apples. Discard the rest of the liquid. 

I used two frozen pie crust one for the top crust as well. I made sure it was thawed enough to come out of the pan and pinched sided down so liquid would escape. 

On top crust cut X to vent. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar on top. 

Put pie in preheated 425 degree and bake for 42-48 minutes. Take out of oven and let cool for 15 minutes. 

And if your interested in making the crust.

 

Always make it first.

Start off by mixing 2 1/2 cups of AP four with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Then using a food processor or pastry blender (even 2 knives). Add 2 sticks of cubed cold butter. (The cold butter is used for flakiness) 

Combined until mixture looks like course crumbs. 

Add ice cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Until when squeezed between your hands it forms into dough. 

Form dough into 2 balls. Wrap separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. 

Sit on counter for 5-10 minutes. 

The apple mixture should go in refrigerator too while waiting on crust and sit on counter for the same amount of time. 

Roll one ball of crust at least 2 inches bigger than pie dish. 

Placed apple mixture in buttered and floured pie dish. 2 ball is place on top and designed the same as the frozen.

Follow directions above to finish.

Hope you enjoy!

Life and Times: RVA

Date night for the ladies (no men allowed).  

This past Friday I went on my monthly, bi-weekly, ladies night out with Mrs. Keisha Smith. We're no longer shutting the club down then finding a after party but we do make the best of our time. This time around it wine and art night. 

We stopped on grove at Cafe Caturra where they have bottled wine on tap and yummy appetizers. It's a relaxing apmostpher to catch up. So relaxing that you can easierly lose track of how your glass of wine turned into a bottle. Love that place it only gets better in the summer when you catch wine happy hour on the patio. 

Next stop was the Muesum of Fine Arts for the Hollywood Costume exhibit. It was interesting to see that even Hollywood there was issues with hoarding. It honestly was an amazing exhibit though and I hope people take advantage.