Monday Morning in the Kitchen: Bake and Freeze Apple Pie

Thanksgiving dinner requires a well-choreographed kitchen dance:  peeling, chopping, cooking, baking--timed so that everything appears on the table at once.  I always try to prepare as much as possible ahead of time.  This year, I'm baking apples pies early, freezing them, and just warming them up on Thanksgiving. Follow that link for information on how to freeze many different foods. And if, like my mother-in-law, you subscribe to the saying, "Pie without cheese is like a kiss without a squeeze," you might want to check out this link to read how to freeze cheese.  Update:  I would suggest warming the pies at 200 degrees, but checking them after 1 hour.  Warming for 2 hours resulted in a fairly crispy, tough crust.

Apple Pie

 

                  (adapted from Apple Pie by Grandma Ople)

 

 Pastry for 9-inch double-crust pie (see recipe below)

1/2 cup butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon vanilla

8 Granny Smith apples--peeled, cored, and sliced

 

Melt butter in saucepan.  Stir in flour and cornstarch.  Add water, sugars, and spices, and bring to a boil.  Turn down to a simmer, and stir in apple slices. Cook for a minute or two.

 

Place bottom crust in pan, then top with the apple mixture.  Cover with top crust.  Crimp edges together, cut slits in top crust, and bake pie for 70 minutes at 350 degrees.  Let cool thoroughly before freezing. 

Pastry for 9-inch double crust pie (adapted from this recipe)

Mix together 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt.  Combine 2/3 cup oil and 6 tablespoons ice-cold water, then add to flour mixture.  Stir until thoroughly mixed.  Divide dough in half, and roll each piece out between two pieces of plastic wrap.

 

Thanks for do-ahead tasks which make the actual day less hectic and more enjoyable.