By Sarah Ann Noel
This week, the cold came and turned my attention to baking. At my husband’s request, an apple pie was up first. Why don’t I make fruit pies more? It’s so easy. In an effort to cut down on the processed sugars in our diets, I subbed in some local honey instead; and there’s something about saying “honey apple pie” that makes it feel even more homey.
Ingredients
½ cup unsalted butter
2 ½ – 3 cups unbleached flour
4-5 tablespoons local honey
Ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon Vanilla
3 large Granny Smith apples
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt ⅓ of the butter on low heat until liquid.
3. Peel and core apples, then slice thinly and evenly.
4. Drench the apples in butter and then add the honey, vanilla, and several shakes of cinnamon. Set aside.
5. In a large bowl, cut the remaining ⅔ of the butter into 2 ½ cups of flour. Once evenly distributed, slowly add large spoonfuls of water to the flour mixture. Stir continually until dough begins to stick together, but before it is sticky.
6. Knead dough in the bowl to collect all flour; the result should be a stiff, still somewhat flaky dough. Divide in two halves.
7. Roll out the first half into a thin, even circle. Drape across a ceramic pie dish.
8. Fill crust with apple mixture.
9. Roll out second half of dough into a thin, even circle. Cover pie dish and pinch together two crust halves. Piece the top layer and adorn as desired.
10. Cover the dish in aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes; then uncover and bake for an additional ten minutes, ensuring the filling is boiling and the crust is just browning.
Best served hot with a big ‘ole scoop of vanilla ice cream!
