One of our top stories at rooted was one of the first handful that we put out. “The Best Apple Pie in the World” reached great heights last fall, partly because it is quite a boast to make about a pie, and mostly because it’s true. With the holiday season quickly approaching, we wanted to put the pie out there once again. We figured that since it is, in fact, the best apple pie in the world, it deserves another go round.
Barefoot in the kitchen. It’s unfortunate that this image is associated with the ball and chain of housewivery and keeping the ladies down, because really, it’s a fantastic thing. To me, it implies intimacy with the space, that get close and nuzzle up familiarity that only comes after the shoes are kicked off—for the ladies or the gentlemen.
Which brings me to the best apple pie in the world. I was recently barefoot in my kitchen peeling some fresh pink ladies, prepping for this pie, and it was a glorious thing. The silent autumn sunlight pouring through the windows blended so nicely with the blaring beats of my cooking tunes. It was perfect pie time, because I have to say, as apple pie’s go, this one is tops. Pink Ladies are always a late season pick so I was able to grab some freshies at the RemBrandt fruit stand (open year round!) on Highway 97 the other day on the way home. Living in the high seat of the apple kingdom, we all should have at least one go-to recipe up our sleeves, and this one is mine. I may want to mention here that I have no great passion for baking. I do it every now and then, but don’t think about it much when in the throws of everyday life. But this pie, well it gets me every time—I think it was the crust that did it, the crust and the paper bag.
I’m enough of a food snob to roll my eyes at pre-made store bought crust, but way too lazy to put the effort into real, cut-with-butter-hand-rolled-flour-dusted-flecked-with-ice-water crust that separates the bigs from the littles in the pastry kitchen. This one, you actually fork together in a bowl, then use your hands to press it into the pie pan.That’s it. And it’s good too. A crumble top eliminates the issue of a top crust, and then, get this, it’s baked in a paper bag. Just an old school brown paper bag. Why? I have no idea, but I have learned to embrace the mystery, because it works.
This particular recipe is called “Grandma’s Apple Pie” from an old church cookbook my own grandmother gave me eons ago, and I’ve certainly tweeked it a bit over the years. I have no idea who this particular Grandma was, but her pie kicks some serious butt.
GRANDMA’S APPLE PIE
Crust:
1 ½ cups flour ½ cup vegetable oil
½ tsp sugar 2 Tbsp cold milk
1 tsp salt
Combine and mix with a fork until well blended. Pat in bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Do not roll out!
Filling:
4 cups sliced apples ½ tsp nutmeg
½ cup sugar 1 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp flour ½ tsp ginger
Peel, core and slice apples, toss with dry ingredients gently, pour into unbaked pie shell.
Topping:
½ cup flour ½ cup sugar
1 stick soft buttera few shakes of cinnamon
Combine with a pastry cutter until crumbly and sprinkle over top of apples. Put pie in a brown paper bag and fold up the end. Run your hands under the tap and just smooth some water over the bag—not soggy, just damp. Of course, make sure the bag doesn’t touch the heating elements.
Bake at 350° for 1 hour 45 minutes