Apple Pie!

Rick and I bought a "1/4 peck" of super crispy, slightly tart apples at the farmers market yesterday, on top of the tart little apples I already had in the fridge.

So I needed to make some apple-somethings.

Rick voted apple pie.

I'm not a big apple pie person, (I know- how "un-american") give me lemon meringue any day, so I have never, in fact, baked an apple pie before.

Janice sent me the recipe - it went as follows:

Apple Pie
Pastry for 2 crust pie

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
dash of salt
6 cups thinly sliced peeled apples (about 6 medium)
2 Tblsp. firm butter or margarine
2 tsp. water
1 Tblsp. sugar

She also sent me a recipe for crust - sadly unused.
I was lazy, this is Pillsbury, also, my beloved Kitchenaid takes up too much counter space that I don't have, so is currently in storage instead of in my apartment.
I'm too lazy to mix dough by hand, especially on a day where I had to work.

But here we have my first attempt at apple pie!

I think my little slits in the middle were too close together, so that part fell in a little, but I also carved in little leaves, and they came out surprisingly well. The edge got a little crispy despite my putting foil on it for most of it's baking time. And then there's that chunk that came off when I took off the foil... but overall, I think it looks pretty good.

Apple pie next to my favorite cooking implement - my programmable crock pot! I use that thing 2-3 times a week to make everything from spaghetti to roast beef. Also my chicken crocks - best souvenir ever. Rick bought them for me at a hilarious antique store/bar/ice cream parlor in Deadwood, South Dakota called "Deadwood Dick's"

And here is the Apple Pie all served up!

Apple Pie ala mode! 

That's hot, homemade spiced rum caramel drizzled all over it!

Rum Caramel Sauce
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
3 Tbsp rum (I used Bacardi Oakheart)

You melt the sugar in a pan till it's all brown and liquid, then add the cream and stir while it bubbles and spits until the sugar re-melts and it comes to a boil. Then you dump it in a bowl and add the vanilla and let it cool for 10 minutes, then add the rum and serve! 


Rick was pretty excited.
Apple pie is one of his favorite desserts and I think he really enjoys it when I make him something with his mom's recipes.

But while I'm willing to make him apple pie, Janice is still, and will always be, the only woman willing to make him meatloaf.