Apple Pie - Plain and Fancy

Plain and Fancy Apple Pies for Father's Day

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We are celebrating Father's Day with friends today, and I have been working with what feels like an orchard's worth of apples for the occasion. I'm toting two pies and holding back a third. The Silver Fox requested I make his special Golden Cream and Apple Tart - it's actually a French tart created by Patricia Wells - for the two of to enjoy when we are alone this evening. Because our friends are basic eaters, I made two of the plain pies I used to make for the children for them. They, too, are delicious, but lack the visual panache of the French pie. I've always been a "In for a penny, in for a pound" kind of gal, and it takes more than 10 pounds of apples to make me blink. So, we have an all-American and a French version of apple pie to share with you this evening. I think we've made Johnny Appleseed proud. Here are the two recipes. Both are winners.

Plain and Simple Apple Pie...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
8 cups apples, pared, quartered, cored and thinly sliced
1/3 to 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter
Pastry for a 2 crust pie
Glaze:
1 egg yolk + 1 teaspoon milk

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2) Place apples in a large bowl. Mix sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon, mace, nutmeg and salt in a small bowl to combine. Sprinkle mixture over apples and let sit until juices begin to form, about 15 minutes.
3) While apples rest, roll half of pastry to fit a 9-inch pie plate with 1/2-inch overhang. Roll remaining dough to form top crust for pie, folding into quarters.
4) Pile apple mixture into pastry. Dot with butter. Moisten edge of pastry with water. Place folded pastry on apples with point in the center. Unfold. Press edges together to seal. Flute. Make several holes or slits in crust to allow steam to escape.
5) Mix yolk with milk and brush top of pastry with mixture. Bake pie for 1 hour, or until crust is deep golden brown and juices are bubbling through slits. If crust browns too rapidly, cover with foil. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Frankly Fancy Apple Cream Tart...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Patricia Wells

Ingredients:
3 large egg yolks
3/4 cup creme fraiche or heavy cream
5 tablespoons sugar, divided use
1 (9-inch) tart shell, pre-baked and cooled
4 cooking apples (about 1-1/2 pounds), such as Granny Smith

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2) Place egg yolks in a large bowl and beat with a fork. Add creme fraiche and 3 tablespoons sugar, mixing until well-blended. Set Aside.
3) Peel and core apples. Cut them in half and then cut each half into quarters. Starting just inside edge of pastry shell, neatly layer slices, slightly overlapping them, in 2 or 3 concentric circles, working toward center of tart. Pour cream mixture over apples. Sprinkle top with reserved 2 tablespoons sugar.
4) Bake in center of oven until cream filling is set and apples are very brown, even blackened at edges, about 45 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. Yield: 8 servings.

                    

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