Pie.

 
Apple pie. What does that make you think of? Thanksgiving? Christmas? Special occasions?

It didn’t used to be that way. Apple pie was an oft-present sweet staple of American households not that long ago. I’ve even read accounts of it being eaten for breakfast. Pie for breakfast? Sign me up!

Why was apple pie so prominent in the kitchens of the past that it became a trademark of classic vintage Americana? Because it’s so easy to make and keep on the table. Well, consider the ingredients. Apples. Sugar. Lemon juice. Flour. Water. Salt. Butter. You have all of these things on hand right this moment, I’d be willing to bet. Also, the process of making a pie can bring anybody back to some really happy times in their lives, and make you feel like a regular June Cleaver. And with really little effort and a bit of time in the oven, you can have yourself a perfect treat that is unanimously loved and quickly consumed, and makes you the queen (or king) of the kitchen. Seriously, I have always been floored at how popular the simple act of making a pie makes a person.

“That girl makes the best pies around.” Ha! No, I just make the only pies around, mister.

So, don’t confine the wonderful experience of making and consuming this delicious piece of history to holidays and special occasions.  You almost always have the ingredients, and how good does making a boxed cake make you feel? Believe me; setting a pie with a laced top (a insanely easy feat) on the table has about a million times the impact.

So, this holiday season, get good at making apple pie, and don’t stop. It isn’t a seasonal treat, it’s good year round. Make the recipe your own! Make little pies! Add cinnamon and make it interesting.

For my next argument- Birthday Pies. Honestly, it’s an awesome idea.

Butter Crust:

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling

1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

6 to 8 Tbsp ice water

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt and sugar. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender. Add the ice water incrementally until you have a stiff but workable dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. Right before you are ready to make pie, divide the dough in half, and roll each half into a circle large enough to line a pie pan, and hang over the edges.

It’s Easy as Apple Pie:

Ingredients:

3-4 medium red apples, peeled, cored and sliced thinly

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 stick butter, cut into bits.

2 rolled pie crusts, from the above recipe

Place the bottom crust in a greased pie pan. Put in the apples, sprinkle in the sugar, and dust in the nutmeg. Top with the butter pieces. Press on the top crust and cut in four small vents. Bake at 375 degrees for one hour.

Look at me, sharing my secrets with y'all.

Blessings,

Tracy