Apple Pie on 4th of July
by Marjan
As an immigrant living in the United States for over 35 years, I have inherited many wonderful American cultures. Without speculation, however, most of it is centered on holidays incorporating celebration, family and friends, and of course food! My two favorites happen to be Thanksgiving and the 4th of July!
Summer is here! And with it come grilling, parties and fun. There is nothing easier and more fun than grilling hamburgers and hot dogs to celebrate America’s liberation from England (some would say we are a still a slave to the Queen Mother! Sorry, had to put a little political jab in my food blog! Thank goodness this is a food blog).
Grilling hamburgers and hot dogs are easy and fun. Of course, as a Savorychick, I recommend making it special. Get creative with the condiments! For the hamburgers, prepare caramelized onions and blue cheese. Or making it a Mexican burger with avocados, purple onions, jalapeno and tomato slices slathered with Mexican cheese. Or keep it classic: American cheese, bacon, onion, pickles, and tomatoes. That’s my favorite! Don’t forget the hot dogs! Relish, onion, ketchup and mustard- simple! I like it with slices of jalapeno and melted cheese.
Wrap up your Holiday celebration with my classic recipe for a good old fashion homemade Apple Pie. Ironically, this recipe is credited to my long lost friend from high school, Grace; whose heritage stems from Peru! This is what makes America great! Don’t forget to dress your pie with vanilla ice cream. Who can resist?
Ingredients
Pastry:
2 cups all purpose flour
½ tsp salt
¾ cup butter (cold, broken down into little pieces)
6-7 tablespoon cold water
Add flour and salt in a large bowl. Mix in butter and one tablespoon of water at a time to knead. Form into one large ball and separate into two equal sized balls. Set aside.
Filling:
2/3 cup sugar
4 tablespoon corn starch
½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 ½ teaspoon lemon juice
6-7 thinly sliced peeled granny smith apples
1 tablespoon butter
¼ cup milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the above ingredients together in a large bowl. Meanwhile, on a flat floured surface, roll flat one ball of pastry into round shape. Butter pie dish and place sheet onto the pan. Cut excess dough and firmly press edges into the pie dish. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.
Meanwhile, roll flat second ball of dough into a round shape and set aside. Spoon entire apple mix on to crusted pie dish and cover with flattened rolled dough. Firmly wedge together side ends of pie dough. Brush milk on top of crust (not the edges). With a fork, puncture 3-4 areas of the top dough for heat to escape. Enjoy!
p.s. Obviously, the crust will be the most challenging part of the recipe. There is always ready made pie crust! The filling is the real show stopper!
As an immigrant living in the United States for over 35 years, I have inherited many wonderful American cultures. Without speculation, however, most of it is centered on holidays incorporating celebration, family and friends, and of course food! My two favorites happen to be Thanksgiving and the 4th of July!
Summer is here! And with it come grilling, parties and fun. There is nothing easier and more fun than grilling hamburgers and hot dogs to celebrate America’s liberation from England (some would say we are a still a slave to the Queen Mother! Sorry, had to put a little political jab in my food blog! Thank goodness this is a food blog).
Grilling hamburgers and hot dogs are easy and fun. Of course, as a Savorychick, I recommend making it special. Get creative with the condiments! For the hamburgers, prepare caramelized onions and blue cheese. Or making it a Mexican burger with avocados, purple onions, jalapeno and tomato slices slathered with Mexican cheese. Or keep it classic: American cheese, bacon, onion, pickles, and tomatoes. That’s my favorite! Don’t forget the hot dogs! Relish, onion, ketchup and mustard- simple! I like it with slices of jalapeno and melted cheese.
Wrap up your Holiday celebration with my classic recipe for a good old fashion homemade Apple Pie. Ironically, this recipe is credited to my long lost friend from high school, Grace; whose heritage stems from Peru! This is what makes America great! Don’t forget to dress your pie with vanilla ice cream. Who can resist?
Ingredients
Pastry:
2 cups all purpose flour
½ tsp salt
¾ cup butter (cold, broken down into little pieces)
6-7 tablespoon cold water
Add flour and salt in a large bowl. Mix in butter and one tablespoon of water at a time to knead. Form into one large ball and separate into two equal sized balls. Set aside.
Filling:
2/3 cup sugar
4 tablespoon corn starch
½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 ½ teaspoon lemon juice
6-7 thinly sliced peeled granny smith apples
1 tablespoon butter
¼ cup milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the above ingredients together in a large bowl. Meanwhile, on a flat floured surface, roll flat one ball of pastry into round shape. Butter pie dish and place sheet onto the pan. Cut excess dough and firmly press edges into the pie dish. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.
Meanwhile, roll flat second ball of dough into a round shape and set aside. Spoon entire apple mix on to crusted pie dish and cover with flattened rolled dough. Firmly wedge together side ends of pie dough. Brush milk on top of crust (not the edges). With a fork, puncture 3-4 areas of the top dough for heat to escape. Enjoy!
p.s. Obviously, the crust will be the most challenging part of the recipe. There is always ready made pie crust! The filling is the real show stopper!
