Curious Hasson makes a pie

I am not a baker. I never will be... don't think that way. I don't like it. And I REFUSE to do it! And I don't like Granny Smith apples... call me strange.

But we happen to have an apple tree that produces some really nice apples, and we happen to have a BILLION of them... and so I begrudgingly decided to make a pie.

Now don't shame me for buying frozen pie crusts... it was my first pie and I didn't want to mess with it.

I called my friend Tom Seibert (a pie making LEGEND who of course shamed me for using frozen pie crusts) and got a recipe that sounded good... because it had pecans in it. Tom likes this particular recipe because the apples come through rather than just sugar... I'd have to agree. He also advised me that you must peel the apples in one peel with a paring knife... at least I had something to shoot for.

He had used a recipe from Emeril, and I have always had good luck with those. Okay, I decided,  I'll give it a shot.

The only adjustments I made below is that 1) I used only Granny Smith, 2) I coarse chopped them instead of slicing, and 3) I added some uncooked apples to the sautéed apples later. I had read that Granny Smith tend to get mushy if that is all you use, so this added some less cooked apples into the mix (and it worked well).

For those of you that know the saying "an apple pie without some cheese is like a kiss without a squeeze", this is the recipe for you. Melted cheddar at the end. (I actually forgot this step and by the time I remembered it the pie had cooled)

Hey... actually it turned out really good. Ugly maybe, but good! Up next: my daughters amazing "live apple pie" recipe...

Apple Pecan pie

Deep-Dish Apple Pie

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2005

Prep Time:

40 min

Inactive Prep Time:

1 hr 30 min

Cook Time:

1 hr 28 min

Level:

Intermediate

Serves:

8 servings

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 pounds Granny Smith apples, sliced 1/2-inch thick
• 2 pounds Macintosh Apples, sliced 1/2-inch thick
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Pinch ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup pecan pieces
• 1 recipe Pie Dough, recipe follows
• 1 egg, beaten
• 4 ounces Wisconsin Sharp Cheddar, grated
• 8 scoops vanilla ice cream

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large saute pan, melt the butter. Add the apples and saute for 2 minutes. Add the sugars, lemon juice and flour. Continue to saute for 2 minutes. Season the apples with nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Mix thoroughly and remove from the heat. Mix in the pecans. Cool the mixture.

Lightly dust a surface with flour. Cut the dough in half. Roll out each half to 12 inches in diameter and about 1/8-inch thick. Fold 1 circle of dough in fourths. Carefully lift the dough and place in a 10-inch deep-dish pie pan. Unfold the pie dough and spoon the apples into the pie shell. Place the second round of dough over the apples. Using a sharp knife cut away the excess dough. Using your fingers, crimp the edges of the pie firmly to seal the dough completely. With the same sharp knife, make 3 slits, about 4 inches long and 2 inches apart, across the pie dough. Brush with the beaten egg, place the pie in the oven, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Remove the pie from the oven and sprinkle the cheese over the top. Return the pie to the oven and continue to cook for 8 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. Let cool to room temperature before slicing, about 1 hour. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Pie Dough:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

11 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

3 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening

5 tablespoons ice water

Sift the flour, sugar, and salt into a large bowl. Using your fingers, work in the butter and shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 4 tablespoons of ice water and work with your fingers until the water is incorporated and the dough comes together. Add more water as needed just until the dough comes together, being careful not to over mix. Form the dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.

Yield: enough for 1 double crust pie