It’s amazing how taste triggers memory. There are certain tastes that take me back to Friday evenings and Sabbath afternoons, and I would like to document some of them here, for the sake of nostalgia. These days, Sabbath meals are very different, but I wanted to start with these older memories first.
Grandma Lowry’s Apple Pie
My grandma, Ruby Lowry, always claimed that these pies were “nothing special”, that “this one might be the bad one,” but we all knew better. This is my best attempt to replicate the recipe from a conversation with my mother, in which we remembered together what Grandma always said about her pies.
First of all, you will have to decide whether you will make your own pie crust, or whether you will use 2 prepared crusts (one for the top, one for the bottom). Of course, Grandma Lowry made her own, but she always claimed she “just used the recipe off the Crisco container.” Well, none of the rest of us have ever been able to make that crust recipe work, but here it is if you’d like to try: Flaky Pie Crust Recipe
“Never Fail” Pie Crust (makes 4 single pie crusts) from Dana’s Recipe
Ingredients:
- 4 cups flour
- 1 Tbl sugar
- 1 Tbl salt
- 1 3/4 cup vegetable shortening (non trans fat, such as Crisco or other). You can substitute butter or a mixture of both. Shortening makes the crust a bit more flaky and is easier to work with.
- 1 Tbl vinegar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup water
Directions:
- Mix flour, sugar, and salt. Cut-in the shortening with a fork or cutting tool (or you could give it a whirl in your food processor for a bit).
- In a separate bowl mix vinegar, egg, and water. Add it to the flour mixture, stirring with a fork until moistened. Use your hands to mold into 4 equal balls. The dough may be frozen and thawed for future use.
- When ready to bake a pie, flour your surface and roll the crust starting from the middle and moving out, till it’s about 2 inches larger than the size of your pie dish. Remember when working with pastries to handle it as little as possible so the gluten doesn’t become overworked and tough.
- Gently roll your dough into a loose log or around your rolling pin (this is the easiest way I’ve found to transfer it into the pie pan). Lay it in the pan, unroll the crust, and gently fit it in-place–don’t pull or tug on the crust.
- Fill the pie (below recipe)
Pie Filling
- 6 apples – softer than Granny Smith (Mackintosh are ideal), peeled, cored, thinly sliced
- 1 pkg Minute Tapioca (found near the Jell-o puddings in your local grocery store)
- Zest from 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 lemon, squeezed for juice
- Sugar to taste
- Dash of cinnamon
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (225 degrees C). Fit bottom crust into a 9 inch pie plate.
- Sprinkle a layer of Minute Tapioca into the bottom crust – just enough to cover the bottom. (This will absorb the liquid so that the pie is not runny.)
- In a large mixing bowl, toss apple slices with lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and cinnamon
- Fill the bottom crust with enough apples to fill just above the edge, to create a rounded mound (the apples will cook down)
- Roll the top crust (as above) starting from the middle and moving out, till it’s about 2 inches larger than the size of your pie dish.
- Gently roll your dough into a loose log or around your rolling pin (as above). Lay it over the filled pie, unroll the crust, and gently fit it in place.
- Use a knife to trim the uneven edges, leaving about a 1-inch overhang. Tuck the overhang under on the edge of your pan. Then use your fingers to pinch the edges for a decorative finish.
- Cut 3 little slits on top to vent and sprinkle sugar on top
- Place on baking sheet to catch any drips; wrap tin foil around the edges of the crust to keep from burning
- Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Lower temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake an additional 60-80 minutes. Serve warm.
A Return to Sabbath 