Homemade Apple Pie for Thanksgiving

Who doesn't love apple pie? Every Fall I bake an apple pie or two and the past few years used our own chemical free apples from our garden. It is so simple - there is no reason not to bake your own apple pies one for now and one for the freezer as a winter treat. Here is how to make and bake your own almost all homemade apple pie.

The first Thanksgiving by Europeans in North America was held by Sir Martin Frobisher
and his crew in the Eastern Arctic in 1578. They ate a meal of salt beef, biscuits
and mushy peas to celebrate and give thanks for their safe arrival in Newfoundland.
~ The Canadian Encyclopedia

Love my old fashioned apple peeler — Love my old-fashioned apple peeler

Apple Pie Ingredients:

6 - 8 cups thinly sliced organic apples - washed, peeled and sliced
2 x 9" frozen deep dish pie shells (this is the time-saving not homemade ingredient)
Cinnamon
1 Tablespoon Plain Flour
1 Tablespoon Butter (at room temperature)
Sweetener: I use a blend of cooking and eating apples and only use 2 small packets of Stevia in the pie
Optional: Nutmeg

Sliced apples, cinnamon, flour, butter, stevia

Baking Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Defrost pie shells for 15 minutes before use (or make your own pastry from scratch)
Place about ⅓ sliced apples into one pie shell
Sprinkle a few shakes of cinnamon (to taste) and 1 teaspoon of flour over the apples
Flick small pieces of warm butter on each layer (⅓ tablespoon)
Repeat this two more times
If you wish add a shake or two of nutmeg on the top layer
Wet the edge of the pie with water and place second pie shell over the apples. Press edges to seal
Cut 3 or 4 slits with a sharp knife in the top of the pie to release warm air when baking

To Bake:

Turn the oven heat down to 350 degrees F before placing uncooked pie in oven
To stop the edges from over browning cover with foil strips (see photo)
Brush top of pie with a little milk to help brown during baking
Place the pie in the middle rack of your oven
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes
If the pie is becoming overly brown near the end, cover with foil

I bake infrequently these days but we enjoy homemade apple pie especially baked with our own juicy, sweet fresh apples. The pie is scrumptious by itself or great with your choice of plain yoghurt or ice cream. Nothing compares to homemade.

Enjoy! ~ Liz &