Make pie. Share pie. Eat pie. National Pie Day!
America loves pie. The American Pie Council (yes, that seriously exists) recognizes this and has created National Pie Day (this Saturday, January 23) to promote it. I have come up with a set of Pie Day rules that I advise you to follow. If you do not follow my rules, you obviously hate America.
National Pie Day Rules:
1. Make a Pie. 20% of Americans say that Apple Pie is their favorite kind of pie so please scroll down for my simple homemade Apple Pie recipe.
2. Share a pie. Invite your four favorite people over and share your pie with them. (If your pie comes out really good, only invite two people over).
3. Eat a pie. If you are inviting me over to share your pie with you, please have some vanilla ice cream handy. No Leftovers are allowed. All pie must be finished by midnight!
Homemade Apple Pie:
Blend 1 1/4 cups flour, 6 Tbsp cold, cubed butter, 2 Tbsp cold vegetable shortening, and a tiny pinch of salt. When it is thoroughly blended it should resemble coarse cornmeal. Add 2 Tbsp of ice water. Form your dough into a ball (If your dough does not form easily, you can add a little more ice water). Dust the dough ball with a small amount of flour and wrap it in wax paper. Put it in the fridge for one hour.
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Divide your dough ball in two, and roll out one half into a 12 inch circle. Line a 9-inch pie dish with the rolled dough. Trim it so it only overhangs by half an inch. Brush the dough with some egg wash (1 egg white beaten with 1 Tbsp of water). Put your pie shell in the fridge while you make the filling.
In a large bowl, combine 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 2 1/2 Tbsp of flour, 2 generous pinches of cinnamon, a tiny pinch of salt, the juice (no seeds) of 1 large lemon, and 2 Tbsp of melted, unsalted butter. Add 7 peeled and thinly sliced apples (try to use a combination of apple varieties). Toss your apples with the other ingredients.
Pour the bowl contents onto the pastry in the pie dish.
Roll out the second half of the dough ball into a 12 inch circle. Cover the pie with this pastry and trim the overhang so that there’s only 3/4 inch. Pinch the edges all around the pie to seal it up tight. You can use a fork to “flute” the edges of the pie (press the back of a fork all around the edge of the pie to crimp it decoratively). Brush the top of the pie with more egg wash. Make a few slashes in the top of the pie with a knife so that steam can escape.
Bake the pie on a baking sheet, on the bottom shelf of the oven, for 12 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake 40 minutes more. If your pie edges start to brown too much, cover them with a strip of aluminum foil.
Let the pie rest at least 40 minutes before cutting into it.
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Jessica, I plan to celebrate National Pie Day early and often! Do I have to wait till the 23rd?
Absolutely not!! I say you start immediately!
What about deployed soldiers? We want to participate in National Pie Day, if for no other reason than we love America (Rock, Flag and Eagle). But we may not be able to get to a pie (or certainly make a pie) on the 23rd. Is there some kind of Absentee Pie Day form we can fill out?
Yes! All soldiers have an extension!! But they must TRY to find a pie on Saturday wherever they are- even a meat pie ; )