Fall is apple pie time

HALLIE EPHRON: Fall in New England is apple time and it's time to make pie!

I used to be a purist, making my pie with Cortland apples picked at a local orchard. Sadly by the time a Cortland makes it way to a supermarket it tastes... blah, to use the technical term. Mealy-ish. So not the same beast as what you pluck from the tree.

So these days I buy the most dependable of varieties: Granny Smiths. Never mind that they usually come from halfway around the world, they're invariably hard and crisp and tart and perfect for pie making.

My apple pie recipe, however, is the same as always. It comes from my ancient (it was my mother's) Joy of Cooking, and you can see how time has worn its pages. (The receipt I use as a place mark is dated 2003.)

I follow the recipe, using half white and have light brown sugar. I do not add lemon or lemon zest because Granny Smiths pack plenty of tart tastiness. 

 

Invariably I forget to add the recipe's butter, but no one seems to notice. My crust, which once would have been made from scratch and later from a mix, now comes rolled and ready from the refrigerated section of the market. Easy peasy and close enough to the real thing. I sprinkle a ton of cinnamon sugar over the top before I bake it. ESSENTIAL!

I like to serve it warm with... nothing. Vanilla ice cream maybe if whoever's at the table requests it. But since it's just me and Jerry at the table now and for the foreseeable future, naked pie. Warmed a bit. Served on a plate with a fork.

Do you make apple pie? Crust from scratch or mix or ready to roll? Same recipe forever or... maybe you have somewhere, a great bakery that does it for you? Happy apple pie!

(Guess what we're having for breakfast!)