Oh my. Apple pie?

Yes, friends. It is true. Once again, I have defied all odds:

This week, I made an apple pie from scratch...

with the assistance of a few helpers.

I say that I defied all odds because if you had told me 6 months ago that I would be baking... let alone baking from scratch,... Ha! I would definitely have laughed at you!! So, if you are diaper-deep in the newborn stage of life, take heart! You will, again, be able to cook like the Betty-Crocker-in-cute-and-stylish-heels that you know you are! My Betty has emerged like the phoenix.

So, blog buds. I MUST share this recipe with you. I actually think that it is the best 'from scratch' pie crust. It is very flaky, and buttery, and very do-able. And, if you have a pastry blender (I think it is worth it),- it is actually easy to be gourmet.

Look. My three year old could do it.

Bake on, you multi-talented, hot-from-the-oven, smokin' Bettys.

Caleb uses the pastry blender:

The best pie dough:

Just testing:

Christian helps by staying occupied and happy:

Rolling. rolling. rolling:

Just before putting the top crust on:

Fresh out of the oven. Bettys, rejoice:

Darlene's Farmhouse Apple Pie

(a combo of all sorts of recipes... now claimed as 'mine.' hehe)

Pie Dough (makes 4 single crusts)

4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 tspn salt

1 Tbsn sugar

1 3/4 cups cold unsalted butter (3.5 sticks), cut into small pieces and kept cold

1 Tbsn white vinegar

1 egg (extra large)

Combine the flour, salt and sugar in a lg. bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles course meal. Whisk the vinegar, egg, and 1/2 cup of ice water together and mix into the flour mixture with your hands until just combined. Transfer to a clean work surface, and gently press to form a dough. Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Shape each into a ball, flatten slightly to form a disk, and wrap in plastic. Chill for at least an hour.

Tip: This recipe only calls for 2 disks. Take the other 2 disks, wrap tightly in plastic, and freeze until ready to use. Allow 2 days to thaw in the refridgerator.

Apple Pie

2 disks of Farmhouse pie dough

5ish cups apples, peeled and thinly sliced, approx. 6 large apples.

(I like tart varieties as a contrast to all of the sugar)

1/2 cup boiling water

1 cup sugar

1/2 tspn salt

1/4 tspn nutmeg

1/2 tspn cinnamon

3 Tbsn corn starch

2 Tbsn butter, cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 450. Roll out one disk of pie dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness (approx.); transfer to a 9 inch pie pan. Set aside and keep chilled.

Pre-boil apples in the boiling water, in a lg. saucepan, until half-cooked - approx. 5-6 minutes. Put the apples into the pie shell. In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and corn starch. Pour sugar mixture on top of the apples (do not mix in). Dot the top of the sugar mixture with the butter pieces.

Roll the remaining disk of pie dough to 1/8 inch thinckness (approx.). Use dough to top the prepared pie pan. Trim (reserve extra dough), leaving 1/2 inch overhang, fold under, and finger-crimp edges of dough to seal. Sprinkle the top of the crust generously with sugar. Cut slits in the pie for bubbling juices. If desired, use extra dough to make decorative shapes, such as leaves or acorns, and place on top of the pie.

Bake the pie at 450 for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350, and bake, 30-40 minutes more, or until the crust is browned.