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.
• 
  
  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.

the Ultimate Lemon Chiffon Pie...ATK

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

We wanted to develop a lemon meringue pie recipe that gave us a meringue that didn’t break down and puddle on the bottom or “tear” on top. We realized that the puddling underneath the meringue was from undercooking. The beading on top of the pie was from overcooking. We discovered that if the filling was piping hot when the meringue was applied, the underside of the meringue would not undercook; if the oven temperature was relatively low, the top of the meringue wouldn’t overcook. Baking the pie in a relatively cool oven also produced the best-looking, most evenly baked meringue.

INGREDIENTS

Graham Cracker-Coated Pie Shell

1 ¼ cups 

unbleached all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon table salt 

1 tablespoon granulated sugar 

6 tablespoons 

unsalted butter,

chilled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces

4 tablespoons vegetable shortening, chilled

3–4 tablespoons cold water 

½ cup graham cracker crumbs 

Lemon Filling

1 cup granulated sugar 

¼ cup cornstarch 

⅛ teaspoon table salt 

1 ½ cups cold water 

6 large egg yolks 

1 tablespoon lemon zest from 1 lemon

½ cup lemon juice from 2 to 3 lemons

2 tablespoons 

unsalted butter

Meringue Topping

1 tablespoon cornstarch 

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar 

½ cup granulated sugar 

4 large egg whites 

½ teaspoon 

vanilla extract

1

INSTRUCTIONS

For the pie shell: Mix flour, salt and sugar in food processor fitted with steel blade. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture, tossing to coat butter with a little of the flour. Cut butter into flour with five 1 second pulses. Add shortening; continue cutting in until flour is pale yellow and resembles coarse cornmeal with butter bits no larger than a small pea, about four more 1-second pulses. Turn mixture into medium bowl.

2

Sprinkle 3 tablespoons cold water over mixture. Using rubber spatula, fold water into mixture; press down on dough mixture with broad side of spatula until dough sticks together. If dough will not come together, add up to 1 tablespoon more cold water. Shape dough into ball, then flatten into 4-inch-wide disk. Dust lightly with flour, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes before rolling.

3

Generously sprinkle work area with 2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs. Place dough on work area. Scatter a few more crumbs over dough (see illustration 1, below). Roll dough from center to edges, turning it into a 9-inch disk, rotating a quarter turn after each stroke and sprinkling additional crumbs underneath and on top as necessary to coat heavily, (see illustration 2). Flip dough over and continue to roll, but not rotate, to form a 13-inch disk slightly less than 1/8-inch thick.

4

Fold dough into quarters; place dough point in center of 9-inch Pyrex pie pan. Unfold to cover pan completely, letting excess dough drape over pan lip. To fit dough to pan, lift edge of dough with one hand and press dough in pan bottom with other hand; repeat process around circumferences of pan to ensure dough fits properly and is not stretched. Trim all around, 1/2-inch past lip of pan. Tuck 1/2 inch of overhanging dough under so folded edge is flush with lip of pan; press to seal. Press thumb and index finger about 1/2-inch apart against outside edge of dough, then use index finger or knuckle of other hand to poke a dent on inside edge of dough through opening created by the other fingers. Repeat to flute around perimeter of pie shell.

5

Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Use fork to prick shell at 1/2-inch intervals; press a doubled 12-inch square of aluminum foil into pie shell; prick again and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

6

Adjust oven rack to lowest position, heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake, checking occasionally for ballooning, until crust is firmly set, about 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees, remove foil, and continue to bake until crust is crisp and rich brown in color, about 10 minutes longer.

7

For the filling: Mix sugar, cornstarch, salt, and water in a large, nonreactive saucepan. Bring mixture to simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally at beginning of the process and more frequently as mixture begins to thicken. When mixture starts to simmer and turn translucent, whisk in egg yolks, two at a time. Whisk in zest, then lemon juice, and finally butter. Bring mixture to a brisk simmer, whisking constantly. Remove from heat, place plastic wrap directly on surface of filling to keep hot and prevent skin from forming.

8

For the meringue: Mix cornstarch with 1/3 cup water in small saucepan; bring to simmer, whisking occasionally at beginning and more frequently as mixture thickens. When mixture starts to simmer and turn translucent, remove from heat. Let cool while beating egg whites.

9

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Mix cream of tartar and sugar together. Beat egg whites and vanilla until frothy. Beat in sugar mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time; until sugar is incorporated and mixture forms soft peaks. Add cornstarch mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time; continue to beat meringue to stiff peaks. Remove plastic from filling and return to very low heat during last minute or so of beating meringue (to ensure filling is hot).

10

Pour filling into pie shell. Using a rubber spatula, immediately distribute meringue evenly around edge then center of pie to keep it from sinking into filling. Make sure meringue attaches to pie crust to prevent shrinking (illustration 3). Use spoon to create peaks all over meringue. Bake pie until meringue is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature. Serve.

Shredded Dough Apple Cherry

More of a pastry than a pie or tart, this treat impresses everyone and stays fresh for days (refrigerated). You can use prepared pie pastry and make this all butter or all vegetable based fat, depending on your preference. This is a lovely fall dessert, perfect for Rosh Hashanah or Succoth. This recipe is a variation on the Plum Tart in my cookbook, The New Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking, River Heart Press 2017.

Pastry2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
3/4 cup unsalted butter 
1/4 cup vegetable shortening (or butter) 
1/2 cup ice water 
3/4 teaspoon salt 
1 tablespoon sugar

Filling 6 cups peeled apple wedges
1 ½ cups pitted sour or sweet cherries (canned or frozen)
3/4 cup sugar 
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon 
1 tablespoons flour 
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Finishing Touches
Confectioners’ sugar

Generously spray a 9 or 10 inch quiche pan with removable bottom (you may also use a large pie pan or a tart pan — similar to a quiche pan but not as deep).

Place the flour in a large bowl. Cut or rub the butter and shortening into the flour until you have a somewhat even mixture of flour covered fat resembling a coarse meal. Make a well in the center and add most of the water. Stir with a fork or fingers to dissolve salt and sugar. Stir dough lightly with a fork to combine dry and liquid ingredients. Use hands when dough gets too hard to mix and combine to make a rough mass. If dough seems too dry, add remaining water. Knead very gently for a few seconds to smooth out dough. Divide dough in half and wrap both halves in plastic wrap. Place one in the fridge for an hour or two and one in the freezer. Chill at least one hour or overnight before using.

Prepare apples and place in a large bowl. Add in the cherries, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, flour and cornstarch.

Remove dough from fridge and on a lightly floured work surface, roll the pastry to fit pan bottom and sides. Fill the pastry shell with the fruit filling.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Remove reserved dough from freezer. Using a metal hand grater, shred up dough, as you would cheese. If dough is too cold to work with, allow it to warm about 10–15 minutes. Arrange shredded dough over fruit. Place quiche dish on a baking sheet (this will catch drippings).

Bake 15 minutes at 400 F. Reduce heat to 350 F. and bake until juices begin to come through top and side surface and dough on top is lightly browned, another 25–30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool well.

Before serving, dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Serves 8–10

Fresh Peach Pie

From The America's Test Kitchen (as you an see some of my lattice slipped but it's still good looking)

INGREDIENTS 

1 recipe for double-crust pie dough (divided into two disks, wrapped in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.  When ready to roll out, allow both disks  to sit at room temp for 30 minutes.

3 pounds peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced 1/3 inch thick

1- 1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1 t grated lemon zest

1 T juice of lemon

1/8 t. salt

2 T low-or no-sugar-needed fruit pectin (like Sure-Jell)

1/4 t. cinnamon

pinch of ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon corn starch

DIRECTIONS

1. Roll one disk of dough into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface, then fit it into a 9-inch pie plate, letting the excess dough hang over the edge; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Roll the other disk of dough into a 13 1/2 by 10 1/2-inch rectangle, then transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Trim the dough to a 13 by 10-inch rectangle with straight edges, then slice it lengthwise into eight 13-inch-long strips. Separate the strips slightly, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze until very firm, about 30 minutes.

3. Toss the peaches and 1/2 cup of the sugar, 1 t grated lemon zest, 1 T lemon juice and 1/8 t. salt together in a large bowl and let sit, tossing occasionally, until the peaches release their juice, about 1 hour.  Combine in a separate bowl 2 T low-or no-sugar-needed fruit pectin, 1/4 t ground cinnamon and pinch of ground nutmeg and set aside.  Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position, place a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet on the rack, and heat the oven to 425-degrees.

4.  Remove 1 cup of the peach slices to small bowl and mash with fork until coarse paste forms.

5.   Drain the remaining peaches thoroughly through a colander sat upon a bowl, reserving 1/2 cup of the juice. In a large bowl, toss the drained fruit,  1 T. cornstarch,  until well combined.

6.  Transfer the 1/2 cup of reserved peach juice from when you strained the peach slices into a skillet.  Add pectin mixture and whisk until combined. Cook over medium heat stirring occasionally until slightly thickened and pectin is dissolved (liquid should become less cloudy) 3-5 minutes. Remove skillet from head; add peach pies and peach paste and toss to combine.

7.   Spread the peaches into the dough-lined pie plate and weave the chilled strips of dough over the top into a lattice. If strip are too stiff let the strips soften for a bit., then trim, fold, and crimp the edges. Lightly spritz with water and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar.

6. Place the pie on the heated baking sheet and bake until the top crust is golden, about 25 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees, rotate the baking sheet, and continue to bake until the juices are bubbling and the crust is deep golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes longer. Let the pie cool on a wire rack until the filling has set, about 3 hours; serve slightly warm or at room temperature.