Apple Pie Crisp

Apple Pie Crisp

Pie Crust

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
3 tablespoons granulated white sugar
1/4 cup vegetable shortening, cold
12 tablespoons butter, cold and cubed
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup ice water

Filling

 
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
Freshly ground nutmeg, to taste
7 medium apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 lemon, zested and juiced
3 tablespoons butter, diced

Topping

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

For Pie Crust:

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt and sugar. Add the shortening and break it up with your hands as you start to coat it all up with the flour. Add the cold butter cubes and work it into the flour with your hands or a pastry cutter. Work it quickly, so the butter doesn't get too soft, until the mixture is crumbly, like very coarse cornmeal. Add the ice water, a little at a time, until the mixture comes together forming a dough. Bring the dough together into a ball.

When it comes together stop working it otherwise the dough will get over-worked and tough. Divide the dough in half and flatten it slightly to form a disk shape. Wrap each disk in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. On a floured surface roll each disk out into a 10 to 11-inch circle to make a 9-inch pie.

Yield: 2 (9-inch) pie crusts

For Pie Filling:

Mix together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl. In another bowl, sprinkle apples with the juice of 1 lemon with zest and toss. Stir in the sugar mixture to evenly coat the apples.

Set aside. Roll out chilled dough into 2 circles and use 1 round to line a 9-inch pie pan.

Mound the apple and sugar mixture into the pie pan lined with dough. Dot with the cubed butter.

For topping:

Blend first 5 ingredients in processor. Add chilled butter cubes; using on/off turns, cut in until mixture resembles wet sand.
Toss filling to redistribute juices; transfer to crust, mounding in center. Pack topping over and around apples. Bake pie on baking sheet until topping is golden, about 40 minutes (cover top with foil if browning too quickly). Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake until apples in center are tender when pierced and filling is bubbling thickly at edges, about 45 minutes longer. Cool until warm, about 1 hour. Serve with ice cream.

Apple Pie Jam

Apple Pie Jam Recipe

This recipe is a keeper! Try, you’ll see.

Ingredients

4 cups diced apples {I used a mixture of Honeycrisp, Red, and Yellow}
2 tablespoons lemon juice {I used bottled}
1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 box pectin
4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon unsalted butter

Directions

Bring a boiling-water caner, 3/4 full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before filling.

 

Dice the apples and place in a 4 cup measuring cup. Cover the apples with water to top of the 4 cup measuring mark. Place apples in a 6 -8 quart pot, add spices, lemon juice, butter and pectin and bring to a full rolling boil.

Slowly stir in the sugar and return to a full rolling for 1 minute, making sure to stir constantly to avoid boiling over. Remove from heat and skim off any foam with metal spoon.

Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. {Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.} Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 min. Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary}. Yields {6} 1/2 pints.

Grape Jelly

Grape Jelly

Ingredients

3 ½ lbs. of Grapes

½ Cup of Water

7 Cups of Sugar

2 Boxes of Pectin

Directions

1. Sort and wash grapes, and remove stems. 
   
2. Place them into a large kettle and crush them. Add water, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and extract juice. Allow the juice to stand in a cool place overnight to prevent the formation of crystals in the jelly.
3. Strain the juice through a double thickness of damp cheesecloth. Measure 4 cups of the juice into a large pot. Stir in the sugar. Quickly bring to a full rolling boil. Stir in pectin, and allow to boil hard for 1 minute. Remove from heat, and skim off foam. Pour into hot sterile jars, and process for 5 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Note - Testing for "gell" (thickness)

I keep a metal tablespoon sitting in a glass of ice water, take it out, shake off the water and then take a half spoonful of the mix and let it cool to room temperature on the spoon. in a minute or so. If it thickens up to the consistency I like, then I know the jam is ready. If not, I mix in a little more pectin (about 1/4 to 1/2 of another package) and bring it to a boil again for 1 minute.