I dive into pie baking with the best of intentions, but all too often, life’s little distractions get in my way. Still, what my Rustic Apple Pie lacks in beauty it makes up for in fresh apple flavor and hot from the oven deliciousness.
Cooking – In the Movies
I love a good movie! Back when Netflix focused on its film library, I often watched several movies a week at home. I also enjoyed going out to the movies. Sitting in a movie theater, immersed in the story unfolding on-screen, can be a great way to clear my mind and reset the direction in which my thoughts are traveling.
Several of the movies I am fond of suggest cooking is an activity that offers the same benefits. Not long ago I saw No Reservations. It stars Catherine Zeta-Jones as a repressed chef who focuses her ambition and desires on her cooking. Whenever she feels challenged she heads for the kitchen.
Stranger Than Fiction portrays baking as a similarly focused pursuit. In it actress Maggie Gyllenhaal plays Ana, a woman who has discovered the joy of nurturing others through her passion for baking. And then there is Waitress, a charming and quirky story about a woman who deals with the challenges in her life by focusing her originality on creating fantastic and unusual pies. These characters immerse themselves in the experience of cooking and let the benefits flow into other areas of their lives.
Loving a Rustic Apple Pie
These are inspiring movies. I must admit, however, I have never been able to love a pie into existence the way I’ve seen it done on screen. Still, it seems like a beautiful thing to do. While I am able to make a respectable pie I have never been able to feel that sense of total immersion in the sensual experience of baking the way I see it portrayed in these movies – and I want to!
I don’t lack for trying. I dive into pie baking with the best of intentions. All too often, however, life’s little distractions get in the way. This weekend, for example, I hoped to make a beautiful crust on my Apple Pie. I brushed it gently with milk and dusted it lightly with sugar before I put it in to bake. Sadly, the crust turned unevenly dark in several spots when I got caught up in a scene from Fiddler on the Roof at a crucial moment. Then I cracked the top crust around the edge when I hastily removed it from the oven.
Fortunately my family is supportive. When I pointed out its defects, my son told me that my pie looked great. He said I should value its rustic appearance. I suppose ‘rustic’ does have a certain charm to it. I’m going to embrace that title, lovingly. After all, the sweet cinnamon and nutmeg spiced tart apple filling had a beautiful flavor. And the pastry held up as a flaky counterpoint even through the rough patches. In the end I am thankful that I can enjoy a movie while I nurture my family with hot homemade treats fresh from the oven.
More Apple Pies
While I love this two crust pie with its simple filling, over the years I have gathered a few more Apple Pie recipes. All of these skip the top pastry crust layer that I so often find challenging. If you’d rather skip the pastry on top of your Apple Pie maybe there is a recipe here for you:
- French Apple Pie – Instead of a pastry top crust, this version uses a cinnamon streusel to cover the apple filling. The delicious crumb topping crisps a little while baking to give each slice of French Apple Pie a scrumptious crunch.
- Bacon Apple Pie – This clever pie replaces the top pastry crust with a lattice of bacon strips. Adapted from a recipe at Tennessee’s Loveless CafĂ©, it is sure to spark the interest of any bacon lovers in your life. The bacon lattice makes an attractive topping for the pie and adds a salty contrast to the sweet-tart apple filling. Serve this pie for dessert or as a unique addition to your next brunch.
- A Little Pear (Apple) Pie – This little pie is supremely unfussy. Here a single circle of pie pastry cradles the filling. Then the edges are roughly folded over the top. This recipe is written for a pear filling but apples would also work here. Simply substitute apples for pears, skip the candied ginger, substitute 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon for the ground ginger and add a pinch of nutmeg to the filling.
- Chunky Stovetop Apples – Does making a pie just feel like a lot to do at the moment? Why not enjoy that great apple pie flavor in a quick batch of cooked apples instead. Chunky Stovetop Apples are basically a crustless apple pie. Serve them over pancakes or as a side dish with dinner.
Enjoy!
Rustic Apple Pie
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy8
servings25
minutes50
minutes1
hour15
minutesThis basic recipe makes a fragrant and appealing pie. Use tart apples (such as Granny Smith, Braeburn, or Jonathan) for delightfully fresh cinnamon apple flavor.
Ingredients
Pastry for a two crust pie
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
dash of salt
6 cups tart apples (6 or 7 large apples), peeled, cored and sliced
2 Tablespoons butter
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- You can make a pie crust, if you like, or get one from the frozen food section. Sometimes I make my own but I often get mine from a box in the dairy case. Wherever it comes from, use one crust to gently line a 9-inch pie dish. Set aside.
- Mix sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle this mixture over the sliced apples and stir until the apples are well coated. Turn the apples into the pie crust.
- Dot the apples with 2 Tablespoons of butter. Cover with a top crust. Seal and flute the edge. Cut slits in the top to vent. Brush the crust gently with milk and sprinkle with a bit of sugar if you like.
- Bake at 425F for approximately 50 minutes. You may want to place a foil lined pan on a rack directly below the pie while baking, to catch drips. You may also want to cover the edge of the crust with a foil strip during the last 15 minutes of baking if it is getting dark too quickly. When the crust is golden brown remove the pie from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
- Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- Recipe Source: from Betty Crocker’s Cookbook
