Patriotism? Only if it's in pie form!

Normally, when it comes to fruit pies, I believe so many are better as just cobblers. This is also due to the fact that I am mildly intimidated by pie crusts. However, tomorrow is the 4th of July, and I had to do something. I debated for a long time, contemplated decorating some firework cupcakes, or making flag cookies. But truth be told, I don't have the energy to draw tons of little stars and stripes onto cookies today, and there is little that says summer and 4th of July more than an old fashioned Apple Pie.



I settled on a Williams Sonoma recipe and found that the dough was not intimidating at all. I didn't let it chill for the full hour suggested because I'm incredibly impatient, but 40 minutes in the fridge seemed to do well and the crust was still flaky and delicious.

Apple Pie

For the pastry:

3 2⁄3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1⁄4 tsp. salt
10 Tbs. (1 1⁄4 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces
1⁄2 cup frozen vegetable shortening, cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces
About 12 Tbs. ice water

For the filling:

5 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut
 into 1⁄2-inch chunks
3⁄4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1⁄4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbs. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 tsp. granulated sugar 
1 Tbs. Cinnamon 

• To make the pastry, in a food processor, combine the flour and salt and pulse to blend. Add the butter and shortening and pulse 5 or 6 times, until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-size bits. Add the water a little at a time through the feed tube, pulsing once after each addition, adding just enough to make a moist but crumbly dough; it will not hold together on its own but only when gathered into a ball with your hands.

• If you don't have a food processor, use a pastry blender, or your hands to crumble together the ingredients and then slowly add the water. Take care not to overwork the dough when adding the water.

• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough in half and flatten each piece into a thick disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 40 minutes and up to overnight. 

• Preheat an oven to 400°F. 

• Remove both disks of dough from the refrigerator. If the dough is very cold and hard, let it stand, still wrapped, at room temperature for 15 minutes.

• To make the filling, in a large bowl, stir together the apples, brown sugar, flour, lemon juice and vanilla. Let stand, stirring once or twice, for 20 minutes while you roll out the crust.

• To make the pie shell, unwrap one disk of dough and place on a floured surface. Lightly flour the top of the dough. With a rolling pin, gently flatten the dough into a rough round. 

• When the dough round is about 1/4 inch thick and about 2 inches wider than your pie dish, roll it up around the rolling pin, then unroll it into the dish, centering it. Ease the dough into the dish without stretching it. Trim the edges, leaving about a 1-inch overhang. Let the other dough disk stand at room temperature while you make the filling.

• Spoon the apples and all the juices from the bowl into the pie shell, mounding the fruit slightly. Dot the apples with the butter and sprinkle with cinnamon

• Roll out the second disk of dough to make the top. Using a small cookie cutter, press out enough shapes to cover the fruit. Arrange the pieces on the pie and sprinkle with sugar.

• Bake until the crust is crisp and golden and the filling is bubbling, about 1 hour. Let cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes before serving. Serve warm or cold with vanilla ice cream.

 If you have extra dough and another fruit, make a miniature pie! I used a ramekin and an sliced up a peach to make a miniature peach pie so as not to waste the extra crust.

Perfect treat for a drizzly Sunday afternoon

Be sure to have plenty of vanilla bean ice cream to serve with your pie and enjoy all the fireworks and hot dogs you can find!