Temptation! Apple Pie Recipe

Ever been tempted?

Looking at a neighbors apple tree with the fruit hanging over the fence...it all looks so tempting!

Can't help wondering what that neighbor plans to do with his abundant crop of apples. Think of all those apple pies, tarts and goodies....

Well in the meantime here is a nice Apple Pie recipe...just in case you get a bunch of those delicious apples from somewhere...

Carmel Apple Pie

(If apples are sliced thicker than suggested they won't be done in the baking time allotted, reminds Carolyn Imig, award winning pie baker at Wayne's Family Restaurant in Ocanto, Wisconsin. She adds that this pie is "great warm or cold. with whipped cream, ice cream or on it's own." Prep time: 40 minutes. Bake 1 hour, 25 minutes. Cool 2 hours.

(Pastry for single crust pie, such as Helen's recipe is below.)

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 1/4 pounds apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices (about 6 cups)

1/2 to 3/4 dulce de leche ice cream topping or caramel ice cream topping, slightly warmed

1/2 cup coarsely walnuts or pecans, toasted

Whipped cream or ice cream (optional)

1. Prepare and roll out pastry. Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry. Trim overhanging edge to even 1 inch all the way around. Tuck the crust under and flute the edge. Do not prick pastry. Line pastry with a double thickness of foil; add pie weights, if you like. Bake in a 400* oven for 15 minutes to partly bake pastry shell. Remove foil and pie weights. Reduce oven temperature to 375*.

2. For crumb topping: In a medium bowl stir together flour and 2/3 cup sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in cold butter until mixture resembles course crumbs. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar and cinnamon. Add apple slices. Gently toss until coated. Transfer apple mixture to partially baked pastry shell. Press fruit gently with your hands to provide a relatively flat, mounded surface on which to add the crumb topping. Sprinkle crumb over the apple mixture. To prevent overbrowning, loosely cover pie with foil.

4. Place pie plate on middle shelf in oven; place foil-lined baking sheet on lower rack beneath the pie. Bake in 375* oven 30 minutes. Remove foil. Bake 40 to 50 minutes more or until fruit is tender, filling is bubbly and crumb topping is golden brown. Cool on wire rack at least 2 hours before serving.

5. To serve, drizzle warm ice cream topping and sprinkle with nuts. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if you like. Makes 8 servings.

Note: To replace the dulce de leche ice cream topping, in a small saucepan, heat and stir 3/4 cup vanilla caramels and 1 tablespoon of half-and-half or light cream over low heat until melted and smooth.

Nutritional facts per serving: 710 calories, 27 g fat, 60 mg chol, 412 mg sodium, 114 g carbo, 3 g fiber, 8 g pro.

Pastry for single crust pie:

Helen's Single-crust Pie Pastry

(Helen Fletcher, owner of the St. Louis specialty bakery Truffes, shares her no-fail pie crust. The generous amount makes it easy to roll out.

Start to finish: 15 minutes.

1 3/4 cups cake flour or all-purpose flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces

3 tablespoons shortening

5 tablespoons cold water

2 tablespoons lightly beaten egg or 1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar

1. In a medium, combine flours and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter and shortening until pieces are pea-size.

2. In a small bowl, mix 4 tablespoons of the water, the egg, and lemon juice. Using large fork, toss flour and egg mixtures together. If any parts are dry, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of water, gently toss to moisten (should be a mass of very large crumbs).

3. Turn crumb mixture out onto lightly floured surface. Using your fingers, gently form a ball. With a bit of flour, knead 4 or 5 times to form a ball. Flatten into a disc about 1 inch thick. If necessary, wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until easy to handle.

4. On a slightly floured surface, roll pastry from center to edges into a circle 12 inches in diameter. To transfer pastery, wrap it around rolling pin. Unroll pastry into a 9-inch pie plate without stretching it. Gently fit into dish.

5. Trim the overhang edge to an even 1 inch all the way around. Tuck the crust under and flute the edge. Bake as directed in indiviule recipes. Makes 1 pie crust.

Recipes from September issue of Midwest Magazine.