Cast Iron Skillet Apple Pie

Ingredients

4 lg Granny Smith apples
1-2 other apples depending on size (Gala, Fuji, Envy, or other)
1 refrigerated, ready-made pie crust (2 pieces)
1 stick of butter
1+ c of brown sugar (packed)
½ c sugar
2 tbs cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ginger
2 tbs flour
egg white & water mixture
a tiny mixture of cinnamon sugar (about 2 tsp)

Peel and cut apples and put them into an acid-water bath to keep them from turning brown. You can use lemon or lime in the water. I used pineapple juice and water. I also like to throw in a surprise apple or two to mix it up with the Granny Smiths. This time I used 1½ Envy apples.

(Get your pie crusts out of the box, so they can warm to room temperature while you prepare your apples.)



Into a jar put 1/2 to 2/3 cup of sugar. I got carried away and used more sugar than I usually do. Add the flour to the sugar. This keeps the pie from getting runny inside. Nobody likes runny insides!
The next part was hard for me because I tried to come up with exact measurements for the spices for you precise people. I usually just dump my spices in until it looks and smells right to me.
Now shake up the dry ingredients, but put the lid on first! I guess you could use a bowl and sp



Melt your butter over low-medium heat then add the brown sugar. I tend to add a little more than one cup. (Paula Deen would be proud.) Mix it together until it looks like chocolate gravy.



Lay your bottom crust on top of the gooey, delicious goodness. Now place your well drained apples on top of the crust. Don't dump them in because it will tear right through the dough. Remember it's floating on a sea of yummy, so it's a little delicate.



Pour the sugar mixture over the apples.



Cut a vent hole in the top crust and place it over the apples. I usually use a cookie cutter, but the only one I could find was a huge star, so I guess we're having patriotic pie tonight.
Tuck the top crust down along the edges. Sometimes I worry about how it looks, so I try to get my edges pretty.



Using an extremely soft brush, or in this case my fingers, wash the top crust with the egg white-water mixture. You will want to do this lightly. Don't let it pool in the crevices. Sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar on top of the egg wash. This makes the crust glisten with a beautiful golden color.
Now wrap the edges with foil so they don't burn.

Bake at 350° for 35 minutes and remove foil.  Continue baking for 10-15 minutes depending on your oven, altitude.  Let the pie cool on a baking rack for at least 15 minutes.

Press-in Butter Crust

This is a good crust for cheese cake or any other cream-type pie.  Makes a nice change from graham cracker crusts, plus uses ingredients you have on hand.

3/4 cup butter (No substitutions, 1 1/2 sticks) at room temperature, cut up
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 lg. egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour

In large bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat butter, sugar, and salt until pale yellow and well blended.  Beat in egg, then vanilla, until well incorporated, scraping side of bowl occasionally.  Gradually add flour, beating just enough to incorporate flour and until dough forms large clumps. (do not over mix.) Divide dough in half and form each half into a 1 inch thick disk.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 1 day.  (Can be frozen at this point for up to 3 months.)

With hands and fingers, press dough disk into even layer against bottom and up side of 9 inch pie plate or tart pan with removable bottom.  Freeze 10 minutes or until firm.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  If crust puffs up, very gently push down bubbles with spoon witout cracking crust.  Cool completely on wire rack before filling.  Makes 2 nine-inch crusts.

Fresh Berry Pie

2-3 quarts berries, depending on the size of your crust (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries)
1 bottle (10 oz) "Simply fruit" jam (flavor to match the berries, or you can use regular jam)
1/4 cup water
1 pre-baked pie crust

Slice berries (or lightly mash, for raspberries and blackberries), reserving 10 of the best looking large strawberries or 1 cup raspberries or blackberries for the top of the pie.  For strawberries, halve the reserved berries.

Microwave the jam and water in a glass bowl and whisk to blend.  Pour over the berries prepared for the pie filling, reserving a couple of tablespoons for glazing the top of the pie.  Transfer the berries to the baked pie crust.

Top the pie with the reserved pretty berries and brush with the reserved jam glaze.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Top each slice with whipped cream if desired.

Pie Filling

2 quarts bottled fruit

1 ½  tsp. cornstarch

¼ cup cinnamon and nutmeg (for apples, peaches)

1 tbs. lemon juice

½ cup sugar (or to taste)

Drain fruit well, add remaining ingredients.  This will make enough for an 8 - 9 inch pie.  Mixture will thicken as it bakes in the pie.  If you like your fruit filling thicker, increase cornstarch to 1 tbs.

Pie Crust in the Pan

Hate to roll out pie crust?  Use this recipe for the same flavor.  This crust will be more crumbly than a rolled crust, but the flavor is perfect.

1 ½ cups flour

½  salt

Throw above ingredients straight into large pie pan, mix with fork.  Combine following ingredients in small bowl:

½ cup oil

2 tbs. milk

Beat oil and milk till combined.  This will NOT mix completely.  Pour this mixture into the pie pan, mix with flour mixture until all oil/milk is absorbed.  Pat mixture into place with your fingers.  Use this as you would any pie crust.  For puddings and other pre-cooked fillings, bake crust at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  To use with fillings that need to be cooked (pumpkin, etc.) pre-bake pie shell at 425 degrees for 5 minutes.  To use in place of a 2-crust pie, reserve ½ to ¾ cups of the crust  mixture to crumble over top of filling, bake as recipe directs.