This is the apple pie recipe that my family has been making for Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember. It comes from the 1962 edition of the Joy of Cooking cookbook. Apple pie is always my favorite Thanksgiving dessert, and I have such fond memories learning how to make it with my grandmother. Read on for the recipe!
Apple Pie
Yields: a 9-inch pie
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Line a 9-inch pie pan with:
Pie crust or cheese pie crust (my family likes
to use the Pillsbury pre-made dough, but if we
have time we make our own)
Peel, core and cut into very thin pieces:
5-6 cups of apples
Combine and sift over apples:
½ to ⅔ cup brown sugar
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon to 1 ½ tablespoons
cornstarch
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
*Only add larger amount of sugar if your apples are very tart
*Only add larger amount of cornstarch if your apples are very juicy
Stir the apples gently until they are well coated. Place them in layers in the pie shell. For them with:
1 ½ tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 teaspoons vanilla (or more if you’re feeling
fancy)
Cover the pie with a pricked upper crust. Brush the crust with milk and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar before baking in a 450 degree oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, reduce the heat to 350 degrees. Bake the pie until done, anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the type of apple. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, if you want apple pie à la mode. Or, my personal favorite, serve with a slice of cheddar cheese melted on top. It sounds weird, I know, but don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!
My family always starts baking pies at least the day before Thanksgiving, if not earlier. Then, on Thanksgiving Day, we start cooking at 6 a.m. and eat by noon. After our big meal at noon, we sit around and play games for a few hours before eating dessert. It’s always one of the most fun times I get to spend with my family. This is one of my favorite recipes that my grandmother has handed down to me and my sister, and I really hope you’ll try it – or consider adding it to your Friendsgiving or Thanksgiving feast this year (or keep it all for yourself – we don’t judge)!