SOUR CREAM APPLE PIE
1 egg
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 TBL flour
3 cups peeled & diced tart apples
One 9" unbaked pie shell

Topping:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
4 TBL butter, softened

Preheat oven to 400. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg & stir in the sour cream & vanilla. Add the sugar, salt & flour & beat until combined. Stir in the apples. Pour the mixture into the pie shell & bake 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the topping: Combine the brown sugar & flour & work in the butter with your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle on top of the hot apple pie & bake 20 minutes longer. Cool at least 10 minutes before cutting. Serve hot or cold.~~ Tested, Tried & True

Make a double crust pastry.
2 cups sifted flour
1 1/2 tsps salt
2/3 cups shortening, cut in until the mix resembles corn meal.
add enough water to form a dough ( about 1/3 cup)....form into 2 disce and chill.
Roll out one to fit A 9 inch pie plate...
Fill the crust with peeled and sliced apples.....about 5 large apples....mound the pan high.
Dot the apples with butter, sprinkle with 1 T flout ( more if they are juicy apples) and sprinkle on 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 tsp nutmeg, and 1/2 cup sugar ( more if the apples are very sweet)
Roll out the 2nd half of the crust, cover the apples, crimp the edges of the crust, cut slits in the top for steam to escape and bake 420 for 20 minutes and turn the oven down for another 25 minutes or until the pie is done.

As you may see.....there is no "easy recipe" for apple pie....you need to know the basics of pie crust to make it easy....then it's as simple as slicing apples and adding sugar and spice.
Linda C

If you have never tried a Sour Cream Apple pie, try it! I have just about the same recipe (add 1 tbs vanilla to the sour cream and another cup of apples - I use Granny Smith) you will get raves.

My Great Grandmother passed our recipe down from when she worked for Sara Lee during WWII

Susan

I didn't realize Sara Lee was that old!

Here's my favourite recipe for both apple and peach pies. Nobody ever leaves a crumb of the crust:

NATHAN'S NEVER FAIL PASTRY
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These quantities make enough pastry for 3 double-crust pies or 3 1/2 dozen tart shells - muffin size.
5 cups flour
1 teasp salt
2 teasp baking powder
1 lb (454 grams) Tenderflake lard
2 teasp white vinegar
1 egg - slightly beaten. Add water to vinegar and egg to make 1 cup

1) Mix together flour, salt and baking powder. Cut in lard until crumbly (using two knives.)

2) Add liquid and mix gently with hands. (I use a fork to help me here.) Roll into a ball.

3) Roll out amount needed on a floured board. Refrigerate or freeze remainder.

Source: 'I've GOT To Have That Recipe'
Doubleday Canada - Victoria, B.C. 1986

My tip: After step two I often put it in the fridge for an hour to make it firmer and easier to roll out.

Nathan's pastry - enough for double crust pie
1 TBS milk and 1 teasp sugar for top of crust
* Check quantity of apples by slicing them first into empty pieplate before lining with pastry to see if you have enough. Then remove and wipe plate clean again.

1) Preheat oven to 425 F (218 C)
2) Peel and slice apples into a mixing bowl. In another small bowl combine the dry ingredients and pour them over apples. Toss well to coat all over.
3) Line pieplate with pastry and pile coated apple slices into pieplate. Dot apples with pieces of butter.
4) Roll out top crust and put on pie, flute edges, brush crust with the milk and sprinkle with sugar.
5) Bake 10 minutes at 425F (218C) then lower heat to 350F (177C) for 35 - 40 minutes or until crust is golden.

PEACH PIE - (can be fresh or tinned)
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1 cup sugar (200 grams)
4 TBS flour
4 cups sliced peaches
1 TBS lemon juice
Using similar method as with apple pie, mix sugar with flour in mixing bowl, add sliced peaches and lemon juice. Combine. Pour into lined pieplate, put on top crust and use same baking temperatures and times as apple pie.
With both pies - be sure and have a drip-catching pan at the lower level of your oven in case the fruit juices bubble over.

SharonCb

APPLE OF HER EYE PIE

PASTRY:
3 c. Unbleached All Purpose flour
1/4 c. Sugar
1 tsp. Dry mustard
Pinch of Salt
8 TB Unsalted butter, cold (1 stick)
1/3 cup shortening, cold
3/4 c. Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
6 8 Tblsp. Ice water

FILLING:
8 Tart apples (i.e. Granny Smith, etc.)
4 TB Unsalted butter, melted
1/2 c. + 2 Tblsp. Sugar
2 Tblsp. Cornstarch
3/4 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Grated lemon zest
1 tsp. Vanilla

TOPPING:
1 tsp. Sugar
Pinch of Cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prepare the pastry dough: Combine the flour, sugar, mustard & salt in a mixing bowl & toss well to blend. Using a pastry blender, 2 knives or your fingertips, cut in the butter & shortening until the mixture forms small clumps. Then add the cheese & work it in until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

2. Sprinkle the water, 2 tablespoons at a time, over the mixture & toss with a fork until the mixture can be gathered into a ball. Knead it once or twice in the bowl and divide it into slightly unequal halves. Wrap both halves & chill in the fridge for 45 min.

3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

4. Prepare the filling: Peel, core and halve the apples; cut them into 1" chunks. (Or use slices instead.) Combine the apples & melted butter in a large bowl. Add the remaining filling ingredients (you can also add a generous sprinkling of Apple Pie Spice) and toss until the apples are evenly coated.

5. Roll the smaller portion of the chilled dough out on a lightly floured surface to form a 12" circle. Transfer it to a 10" pie plate & press it into the bottom and sides of the plate. Trim the dough, leaving a 1" overhang. Reserve any excess dough.

6. Roll the larger portion of dough out to form a slightly larger circle.

7. Fill the pie plate with the apple mixture, mounding it slightly (or use more apples to make it mile high). Brush the edge of the bottom crust with water, then transfer the top crust over the apples, tucking it slightly inside the rim. Trim off any excess, allowing a 1" overhang again. Seal the edges of the crusts together with a fork & crimp decoratively. Trim away any remaining excess pastry.

8. Prepare the Topping: Mix together the sugar & cinnamon. Prick the top crust with a fork in several places & cut a small vent in the center. Brush the top lightly with water & sprinkle it with the cinnamon sugar. If you like, cut out shapes, such as leaves or apples, from the dough trimmings & decorate the top crust with them.

9. Bake until the filling is bubbling and the top is golden, about 1-1/4 hours.

**NOTE: You can turn this into a Dutch Apple Pie by removing it from the oven 10 minutes before it's finished & pouring 4 Tblsp. of heavy cream through a tiny hole in the center of the top crust. It makes it even more wonderful.

**TIP: Spice your apple pies Scandinavian style with ground cardamom instead of cinnamon...it's a nice change.

Ginger,

According to Grandma Vi, it was a cafeteria type of resturant that went into convience foods after the war.

Susan

This one is awesome! It's the only apple pie I make.

Crumb topped apple pie

2 c flour
2/3 c firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c uncooked regular oats
1/2 t salt
1/3 c chopped pecans
3/4 c butter, melted
4 c peeled, thinly sliced cooking apple (about 3 apples)
1/3 c sugar
1 1/2 t cornstarch
1/8 t salt
1/4 c water
1/2 t vanilla

-Combine first 5 ingredients; add butter, and stir until blended. Measure 1 c firmly packed mixture; set aside for pie topping. Press remaining mixture in bottom and up sides of a well-greased 9-inch pie plate. Arrange apple slices in pieplate; set aside.
-Combine 1/3 c sugar, cornstarch, and 1/8 t salt in a small saucepan; stir in water. Bring to a boil over medium heat; stir in vanilla. Pour hot mixture over apples; crumble reserved topping over pie.
-Bake at 350 for 42 minutes, covering with aluminum foil during last 15 minutes to prevent excessive browning, if necessary. Serve with ice cream :)
****I stir some cinnamon into the cornstarch mixture

I made 2 apple pies for Thanksgiving this year and tried a new recipe from King Arthur's huge baking book. The recipe contained vanilla and rum, which I have never tried. I also used two different types of apples, which is something I have been hearing a lot of lately as the way to do a great pie. These pies had really good flavor.

I used to make the crust with the vinegar but found that here it really shrinks up a lot so I have gone back to my old Crisco crust and add 1tsp of lemon juice for each crust. Makes them nice and flaky too.