LORD OF THE PIES: One Apple Pie to Rule Them All
It’s autumn… What’s more awesome in the fall than apple pie!?
Lover's Stroll by: Kelsey Toney
I ended up reading about half a dozen recipes, and combined ideas from several of them, but I knew I wanted one that had a sweet buttery strusel topping, and extra cinnamony apples.
The following is the recipe I used that ended up with my husband giving me full props for making the best apple pie (maybe best pie PERIOD) that he’d ever tasted.
Here is the recipe, exactly as I made it… Don’t ask me why I do crazy things like preheat to a hotter temp than I bake at or why I add an extra pinch of cinnamon… it just WORKED. 
| LORD OF THE PIES: One Apple Pie to Rule Them All |
- 1 refrigerated pie crust at room temperature for 15-20 minutes
- For Filling
- 3-4 large granny smith apples
- 2/3 c sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbs all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- For Streusel
- 1 1/4 c all purpose flour
- 1/3 c light brown sugar
- 1/3 c sugar
- 1 stick melted butter
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Press pie crust into pie plate ensuring good contact with the corners. Crimp the edges if you’re fancy.
- Slice peeled and cored apples thinly into large bowl.
- Add the 2/3 c sugar, 1 1/2 Tbs flour, and 1 1/2 tsp of cinnamon to the apples. Throw in an extra pinch of cinnamon, because cinnamon is awesome.
- Stir the apples and dry ingredients together and let them sit. As the sugars start to melt stir a few more times.
- In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients for streusel and use a fork to break up any clumps.
- Pour the melted butter, a small drizzle at a time into the dry mix of streusel ingredients combining it with a fork. The mixture will look clumpy and bumpy, but clumps should be pea sized or smaller.
- Give the apples another stir and pour them into the prepared pie crust. Arrange the apples so they are neatly filling the pan, with a small mound at the center.
- Top the apples with the streusel mixture. It will be a LOT of streusel, but the butter, sugar, and flour will make your pie taste like magic, so don’t fight it.
- REDUCE OVEN TEMP TO 340 DEGREES.
- Place pie in the oven, and bake uncovered for 35 minutes.
- Cover with foil and bake for another 8 minutes.
- Use a knife and insert it at the center of the pie, listen for the sound. The apples should have a tiny bit of crunch left, but should be mostly soft.
- If they’re not ready, add another 8 minutes. Continue this pattern until the pie is done.
- The foil should keep the crust from browning too darkly, but the streusel should be golden.
- Let sit completely untouched by your greedy, pie hungry hands for at least an hour.
- Cut pie into meaningless wedges, because you’re not actually only going to eat one serving anyway.
Don’t forget to turn the oven temperature down before baking. I waited about an hour and 20 minutes before cutting mine, and it was still perfectly warm and delicious inside. I’m convinced the waiting made a big difference in the final result.
I really hope some of you try this pie… If you do, please come back and let me know how you liked it!
Why rules suck…
Do you ever make yourself follow stupid rules for no good reason?
Case in point:
Most people I know, including myself, put up their christmas trees/holiday decorations shortly after thanksgiving. I totally get it. Thanksgiving needs its proper respect, and shouldn’t be rushed out of the limelight.
But what if you really love your christmas decorations?
What if putting up your christmas tree, and turning on those twinkling lights while you make dinner, or sit on the couch watching stupid sitcoms makes you really, REALLY happy?
What if having your tree decorated makes you feel festive, and happy, and willing to take life’s stressors with a grain of salt?
What if it makes you smile bigger, laugh louder, and respond more sweetly?
The answer to those questions is simple.
Christmas Joy Circa 2006
You tell the “after-thanksgiving-tree-decorating-rule” to kiss your ass… And put that bootch up whenever you feel like it.
Daron put mine up tonight, and I’m decorating it tomorrow.
So, Happy Holidays… whenever yours begin.
Back to Bidness
Well, I definitely enjoyed that little blog hiatus, but I suppose its time to get back to it. After all, If I have to go back to work, I might as well get back to writing too.
I hope you all had fantastic holidays, and are getting in to the swing of a new year.
In keeping with the blog-o-sphere’s obsession with the new year, I guess I should drop my two cents in and say that I don’t “DO” resolutions. Last year, I went so far as to call them “anti-resolutions”… I’m good with goals though… that is a good thing, I think.
I certainly don’t like the pressure of listing all I will accomplish for the year at one time, my goals and desires (not to mention interests) change with the seasons, and I don’t want to box myself in, or set myself up for disappointment should I change my mind.
However, I’ve thought of some things that I’m totally committed to doing, and other things that might be cool, if I still feel like it when the time comes. 
in 2010, I’m committed to making these things happen…
- I will STOP defining myself and measuring myself by the opinions of others (perhaps the greatest flaw in my character)
- I will be a loving, attentive, and passionate wife
- I will sing in a public and professional setting (aka, NOT bloody karaoke-though I love it)
- I will be cast in a stage production (make me a chorus girl, I don’t care)
- I will dig deep into my yoga practice, because it brings deep and abounding joy and peace to my life
- I will finish a half marathon (if my plantar fasciitis will ease up, and I can run it, that would be great)
- I will find beauty in myself, and stop being so critical when I look in the mirror
- I will maintain my healthy weight, and continue to be active and eat right.
- I never want my weight to TOUCH 150 again. I weigh 144 right now, and have weighed 143~145 since October. Lower would be cool though.
in 2010, I’d be stoked if these things came to pass, but I won’t get my panties in a bunch if they don’t…
- I’d like to blog 5 times a week
- I’d like to try a sprint distance triathlon
- I’d like to cut back on some of the crap I still eat (I’m a sucker for wine and cookies)
- I’d like to run a race in a place away from home
- I’d like to see the ocean again
- I’d like to get cast as a featured role in a stage production (I don’t mind if it’s small, but I’d love if my character had a name that I didn’t just make up… aka, villager #3)
I suppose that is it… You guys are awesome.
Have a happy Wednesday.
Merry Everyone
Hey lovelies!
It has been a couple of weeks since my last update, and for that I do NOT apologize.
The holidays always manage to make me feel stressed, and blogging has to go to the back burner when I need to focus on friends, family, travel, and last but not least… myself.
Thought I’d give a quick update about our Holidays!
On Thursday, we got up bright and early, to drive to east texas, where my dad’s side of the family lives (Dad and Step Mom extrordinarre live in Tennessee). We picked up my little brother on the way, and made the journey to the east. It was awesome, we had a big breakfast and exchanged gifts including this beauty… Trust me, it is a long story…
It was so great to see my daddy…
We were watching the storm pass over our home, in DFW on the weather channel, and knew that we needed to get on the road if we wanted to get home safely.
We set off and got SO close, but just north of Frisco, they started closing off roads and people were sliding off everywhere because of the ice. We decided to detour to my grandparents house to get out of the “blizzard-like” conditions. We waited out the storm, but decided that we would try again to get home, as we had some plans for christmas morning, and wanted to get to our own beds.
Another hour + on the road, and eventually, we got home safe and sound.
We woke up on christmas morning, and I felt very jolly. I made some cinnamon/egg nog waffles for my hubby and brother… (don’t forget that your waffle iron needs non stick spray, or your first waffle could look like this:
Once I remembered that little nugget, my boys were happy.
We opened the few presents under the tree (as most were exchanged at other times and places) and I watched the parade and stared out my windows into our snow covered yard.
After breakfast, I got to have a christmas chat with my lola! The whole family was there, and she got to meet my brother clint, so it was pretty special for me.
Later that afternoon, we took my bro out to my grams house, where we had a DELISH dinner, and opened more presents. Grams and my great grandmother, aptly called “grandmother” made pies and potatoes, stuffing, and fruit salad. Yum.
I was sooooo glad to see my mom… isn’t she beautiful?
That is my holiday wrap up, I hope yours was just as enjoyable.
Cheers,
Cinnamon Cranberry Sauce with Vanilla and Marmalade
Wowza!
I made this for thanksgiving, and it is a culmination of looking at several different recipes and styles, and adding flavors that I wanted. Very easy… (unless you let it boil over because you always forget how hot your stove is – but whatever)
This is the BEST, most delicious, quick, easy, tasty, unique cranberry sauces I’ve ever had, and I’ve been known to polish off a can around cinco de mayo…
I could kick myself for not taking a photo of mine, but it was beautiful.
Cinnamon Cranberry Sauce with Vanilla and Marmalade
Ingredients:
Combine the first 3 ingredients in a medium sauce pan over medium heat to melt. Bring to an easy boil. Add cranberries and return to boil. Reduce heat (really reduce it unless you want to scrape caramelized marmalade off of your stovetop) and cover, stirring regularly. Berries will begin to burst within 8 minutes or so. Add vanilla extract. Continue cooking until it has thickened to desired consistency, which should be no more than 5 more minutes. Remove and add ground cinnamon. Stir to combine and allow to cool in the pan before transferring to another container and moving it to the refrigerator to fully chill.
Nutrition Facts
Cinnamon Cranberry Sauce with Vanilla and Marmalade
12 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories -119.0
Total Fat -0.1 g
Cholesterol -0.0 mg
Sodium -23.2 mg
Total Carbohydrate- 31.1 g
Protein -0.3 g
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