Sheffield Lake's United Church of Christ Apple Pies

 My friend invited me (and of course I included Robert for peeling)

 to come and help the ladies of the UCC to make apple pies they sell.  About 5 wonderful friends of mine attend this church and do all things they can to keep this church in the black.  It was a joy to be with them for 2 days and the pies look amazing.  The pies are frozen and sold and then baked by the buyers for Thanksgiving.  They are mounded and filled with the apples.  This year however, they only made over 100 pies vs the usual 200+ as in the past.

This recipe came from a VERY VERY VERY old recipe from a cookbook this church assembled and it's the same recipe these ladies use every year.  No one can get the cookbooks anymore ... yes it's that old ... but Lynette said I could have the recipe.

FOR 5 PIES

Seasoning mixture

3 C. White sugar

1 C brown sugar

1-1/4 cup flour

1 T cinnamon

Sift all ingredients together so it is well blended.

This is Beverly House mixing the  ingredients on the first day

Apples

32 C sliced apples

Totally mix the sliced apples with the seasoning til each apple slice is covered with the mixture.

Linda Coleman brings in another huge pan of sliced apples from the men.

Crust

5lb +2 C flour

2 T salt

3 lb butter-flavored Crisco

3-1/4 C water

Create 10 oz balls

Line the pie tins (use foil pans)  with the crust...brush melted margarine (that is what they use) over the inside of the bottom crust.

 Lynette's daughter-in-law Stephanie coated the bottoms with the melted margarine as well as used a pizza crust press to flatten the pie dough. That took powerful strength to work the press.  To the right is Kathy Burrill who was an expert at sealing and crimping.  Lynette's daughter, Heather, who graduated with Dawn was the hand roller and she had the gift.  She also had a wooden circle the correct size for the top which she laid over the crust and cut around it.  PERFECT IN EVERY WAY.  Sadly I missed getting a pix of her. But on the 2nd day, she made a delicious soup for a lunch break.  The thing with the UCC ladies is that they always serve lunch or dinner at their service projects.

Mound the pie filling over each pan gently packing the apple slices.

  This is their fearless leader, Lynette Moore.  She can do everything and does everything. She's a mover and a shaker in the community, library, as well as her church.

Place about 2 T of margarine over the top by using your fingers to break off bits.

Place the top crust over the pie.  Moisten the endges and seal and then crimp the edges.

Store in a plastic bag and place in a pie box and freeze.

This is Mary Ruth Halas, who like me was a friend agreeable to help with the process.

DO NOT DEFROST THE PIE as no one wants a soggy pie.  PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 450.  When the oven comes to temperature, cut a few slits in the top crust.  Bake 25 minutes and then lower oven to 375 and bake for another 40-50 minutes..til the crust is golden brown and the apples are tender when pricked with a fork.

• Add a cookie sheet under the pie plate as it bakes to catch any drips.
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  If your crust begins to brown too much during baking, cover the top with foil and continue to bake until the apples are cooked through.