Apple Season

Our two little apple trees are loaded with fruit this year and

we have looked forward to the harvest.

Yesterday the girls came over for what we hope will become an annual event.

Jack is in part-time pre-school so he got to help as well.

We peeled and chopped for 9 pies.

Maybe 60 - 70 apples.

We began with mixing a single recipe just to get the feel of it. 

Kari had never made a pie,

and Kristal wanted to get her pies to look better. 

Recipe for one double crust 9 inch pie:

1 2/3 cups flour

2/3 cup Tenderflake lard

1 teaspoon salt

4 Tablespoons cold water

Filling:

6 - 7 peeled and sliced apples

3 Tablespoons sour cream

2 Tablespoons melted butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 generous Tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

After our warm up drill, the girls each mixed a multiple size recipe: 

1 pound Tenderflake lard

5 1/2 cups flour

3 teaspoons salt 

3/4 cup cold water mixed with 1 egg yolk and 1 Tablespoon vinegar 

for egg wash - whisk 3 egg whites

• In an extra large mixing bowl, cut room temperature lard into dry ingredients with pastry blender until all the flour is incorporated and pastry is crumbly looking. Larger chunks are good. 
• Sprinkle with cold water
• Stir with fork in a circular motion until it comes together to easily shape into a ball. Do not knead
• Divide into 6 (if making 3 large deep dish pies) or 8 (if making 4 medium 9 inch pies) even pieces. (Cover unused portions and refrigerate to repeat the following instructions)
• Roll out bottom half big enough to stand a bit taller  than the side of the pie plate. (This is a key thing to do in order to be able to flip the top pastry over it.) Brush bottom with egg wash and fill with fruit. 
• Cover with top pastry, tucking it over "standing proud" bottom and pinch (crimp) top and bottom crust together.
• Brush top with egg wash and cut slits before baking.
• Bake in lower third of oven at 375 F  for 15 minutes. Turn down to 350 F  and bake until filling  bubbles out, about 45 minutes more. (put a sheet of aluminum foil in bottom of oven to catch drippings) 

This makes 4 medium (8 - 9 inch pies) or 3 large deep dish pies that can be frozen raw and baked from frozen. Will take about 75 - 90 minutes to bake.

It was fun to observe how quickly they became experts! 

The chatter that happens around a kitchen island makes it feel like the peeling, cutting, mixing and rolling is no work at all!  And seeing my girls not only desire to keep learning but then have fun with it, fills my heart with joy!