PIE #39 - Apple Pie

A dear woman in my church recently passed away. Chrystal Fern Hunt lived 96 glorious years on this earth. She was a tireless missionary, a fervent prayer warrior, and a devoted wife and mother. She was a pillar of tradition yet passed no judgment on those who were counter culture. She accepted with kindness all who crossed her path, and strangers and friends alike were blessed by the countless prayers Chrystal prayed on their behalf. To know Chrystal was to know God's love and compassion and grace. Earth has lost a dear soul.

Chrystal was also a marvelous cook. She excelled at baking pies, hundreds and perhaps thousands of them during her near centennial lifespan, and she shared her pie-making expertise at church. Women young and old would flock to her pie-making classes, seasoned cooks and unseasoned novices alike, hoping to glean some pie wisdom from this sweet woman. As I reminisce, I realize what a wonderful gift it was for Chrystal and the elderly women in our church to guide and mentor their younger sisterhood. The older generation has so much to offer and in my opinion, represents what is so honorable and good about tradition. Our society today is so lacking in proper etiquette, modesty, graciousness, and patience and so quick to discount the older generation as stodgy, irrelevant, and behind the times. What if we all sought out godly mentors, soaked in their teachings and skills, then went out into this fallen world to practice what they taught us and to pay it forward? I dare say that this battered world would be a vastly improved place.

It's with great regret I never had a pastry-making lesson with Chrystal. But fortunately her daughter-in-law Jody gifted me with the cherished recipe on my 50th birthday. So although the first 50 years of my life have been sadly lacking in pie-baking ability, I am reassured that with Chrystal's recipe, my next 50 years, God-willing, will abound in glorious pies! It's not merely Chrystal's pie making skills I want to emulate. I can only hope to bear the fruits of the spirit that she embodied and lived out to ripe fullness: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Thank you, Chrystal, for your never fail pie crust recipe. But mostly, thank you for being the beautiful embodiment of God's unfailing love.

Chrystal's Never Fail Pie Crust (Makes 2 2-crust or 4 1-crust pies)
4 cups flour
1 3/4 cup shortening
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 egg
1 1/2 cup ice cold water

Chrystal's crust recipe contains an egg. It's an unusual ingredient but I believe it's what makes her recipe truly a never fail one. I chilled the shortening before cutting it into the flour since it was a very hot day when I prepared the crust. Make sure to use ice cold water and handle the dough as sparingly as possible. I was delightfully pleased at the flaky deliciousness of this crust! I imagine Chrystal smiling down from heaven, nodding her head in approval.

Mix flour, shortening, sugar and salt with a fork. Beat egg, vinegar and water together and add a little at a time to flour mixture (you may not use all the liquid). Use a fork or cut in with a wire dough cutter until the right consistency (flour clumps into pieces the size of small peas). Divide dough equally into four sections. Pat 2 sections into 3/4-inch discs, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze for a future pie. Wrap one of the remaining sections of dough in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator.

Roll out the remaining dough section into a 13-inch circle between sheets of wax paper. Transfer to a 9 1/2 inch pie pan and refrigerate while preparing the filling. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Filling:
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
7 cups peeled, cored, and sliced Granny Smith apples
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Egg yolk, beaten, for crust glaze
Coarse sanding sugar for sprinkling

The filling recipe is a hybrid of Martha Stewart's and Ken Haedrich's apple pie renditions. Granny Smith apples were on sale and they indeed are a good type of apple for pie. They are firm and tart, perfect for the extended baking time. Ken's version uses just one crust with a streusel topping, but I preferred Martha's double crust classic version. So I paired Ken's filling with Martha's double crust option and of course opted for Chrystal's crust recipe. I'm happy to admit the end result was near perfect!

Mix the sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a small bowl. Set aside. Combine the apples and lemon juice in a large bowl. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of the sugar mixture evenly over the chilled pie shell. Arrange a single, compact layer of apples, flat side down, in the shell. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the sugar mixture. Arrange a second layer of apples over the first and sprinkle with another tablespoon of the sugar mixture. Continue until all the apples and sugar mixture have been used.

On a separate sheet of floured waxed paper, roll the other half of the pastry into a 10-inch circle. Lightly moisten the rim of the pie shell. Invert the top pastry over the filling, center, and peel off paper. Press the top and bottom pastries together along the dampened edge and crimp edges together. With a paring knife, cut slits in top of dough. Brush pie with egg yolk and sprinkle generously with sanding sugar.

Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake until crust is golden brown and juices bubble, 60-75 minutes more. If the top crust browns too quickly, tent pie with foil. (The high temperature helps the crust set quickly, keeping it from becoming soggy. Reducing the heat allows the apples to cook through without burning the crust). Transfer pie to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Chrystal Fern Hunt