I made a PIE! An APPLE PIE!

I will make no excuse, I will never be my mom. My mom is the best baker I have ever known and she is ALWAYS baking! Seriously, for fun she will turn out like a million pies...just because. And, this isn't limited to just pies...she doesn't discriminate....cakes, cookies, brownies...she is equal opportunity. It is a wonder I wasn't a million pounds growing up...

My mom is a supreme baker and I never aspire to be like her. She is in a league of her own...not that she doesn't try to influence me...and well, I did bake a pie yesterday...it just wasn't to the Mama Benton standards...I didn't make my crust from scratch like she does...instead...I take after my grandmother and bought the crust from the store! :)

That being said, I am using my mom's recipe for the apples...so her crust recipe is safe...I just had to share because this was so easy, even I could do it! And, I found that the filling really isn't THAT bad for you...now as long as you don't eat the entire pie and get all of the calories from the crust...this is a relatively "ok" dessert...

Apple Pie Filling

Ingredients

*8-10 apples, thinly sliced (got for tart apples...not sweet...I used a variety)
*3/4 c. lite brown sugar
*2 T. whole wheat flour
*1 tsp. cinnamon (I may have been a bit more generous)
*a shake of nutmeg
(Dont Forget...*refrigerated pie crust)

Step By Step

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
2. Combine the sliced apple with the dry ingredients. I used my hands to make sure all of the apples were covered.
3. (obviously) Line the pie pan with the bottom crust, fill with the apple mixture, and top with the top crust.
4. Wet the sides of the crusts to make sure they stick! Then, vent the top...I went for the heart look.

Bake at 400 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Check the bottom of the pie...if it looks wet...it NEEDS more time. My pie took about an hour and 15 minutes to bake entirely...

This pie made my husband very happy...Apple Pies are his favorite...but it is NO WHERE near as delicious my mom's apple pie...I am looking forward to that at Thanksgiving!

Fall means it's APPLE CRISP TIME!

As far back as I can remember, my mom would whip up an apple crisp at the drop of a hat during a cool Autumn evening. What stuck out more than anything was the smell that would drift through the entire house creating what felt like a warm winter blanket of flavorful fall deliciousness. And, that smell would truly tell me it was Fall...

Fast forward to today...I am finally back up North and I finally feel the cool breeze blowing through the windows and I see the tree leaves changing color...it truly is my favorite time of the year! So, it must be time to make my mom's apple crisp. (in case you're wondering, making apple crisp in Florida at this time of year doesn't quite cut it...)

First, you need to head to the store and buy a variety of apples. The one thing I have learned from my mom is the very best apple crisps are made with a mixed bag of apples. The apple varieties I used were: Braeburn, Jazz, Gala, MacIntosh, Honey Crisp, and the token tart Granny Smith apple.

(You can use other varieties, but these were the apples I picked up today. I have used Rome and Cortlands in the past.)

The token Granny Smith apple is added to mix because when it is mixed with the sweeter apples it adds in a bit of tart to the crisp.

And now, without further to do, my mom's AMAZING apple crisp recipe....(I hope she doesn't mind I'm sharing!)

Momma Benton's Heavenly Scented Apple Crisp

Ingredients

*approximately 3 pounds of apples (9 medium sized)
*cinnamon
*1 c. sugar
*3/4 c. whole wheat flour
*1/2 shortening
*1/2 c. water
*PAM spray

Step by Step

1. Preheat the oven 375 degrees and spray an 11x17 baking dish with PAM.
2. Slice the apples.
3. Sprinkle with cinnamon (my mom says a teaspoon, I don't measure I just sprinkle) and stir.

4. Pour apples into the baking dish and pour water over the apples.
5. In separate bowl, mix flour, sugar and shortening together.
6. Spread over the apples.

7. Bake for 45 minutes. If the topping isn't brown and crusty, bake for a few more minutes.

*I have had to bake my apple crisp longer than 45 minutes more often than not. It depends on the apples. So, keep an eye on it...I touch the top to check that it is crusty and I look for bubbles from my apples. If I see and feel those things, I think it's done.