What's Cooking Wednesday - French Apple Pie

Fall is certainly in the air. The leaves are starting to turn colour. It's a tad nippy in the morning waiting for the bus. Yes, folks fall is definitely here. One thing that really signals fall for me is apple pie. It always seemed like my Mom would go on an apple pie making frenzy when fall rolled around. Well being my mother's daughter, I went on an apple pie making frenzy this afternoon. This recipe for Frnch Apple Pie is one I got from Grandma Linda. Traditional two crust apple pies are nice, but there something about a crumble top that makes it extra yummy. I think so anyway.



French Apple Pie

Filling:
6 cups sliced apples
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
dash of salt

Mix together and place in a 9" pie shell, unbaked.

Topping:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup firm margarine or butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

Mix together with your fingers until crumbly. Bake for 50 minutes at 425 degrees. Cover topping with foil during the last 10 minutes of baking.

Grandma Linda's Tips: I usually put more cinnamon than the recipe calls for. Sometimes I make 1 1/2 times the topping. Watch the top doesn't get too brown. You may want to cover it earlier.

My recipes notes: Well I pretty much follow Linda's advice with one small exception, I leave out the nutmeg entirely and up the cinnamon to a heaping teaspoon. I just never seem to have nutmeg in the house. I recommend to always make more topping. The recipe as stated doesn't give full coverage to the apples. Also when covering your pie with foil make sure the foil isn't touching the side of your oven. Otherwise you'll end up with a nice burn spot on your pie.

My mother will be thrilled to know I made my own pastry as well today. Usually I cheat and buy the pie crust mix that you just add water to. The just so happened to be sold out of that wonderful invention at Food Basics. I did have a box of Tenderflake at home (I used the recipeon the box), with which I was supposed to make Abby ginger snaps. Instead I used the entire box and made 6 pie crusts. So I ended up with two traditional two crust apple pies and two french apple pies. See I told you I was a busy girl. I'm also a generous girl and two pies went out this afternoon to be enjoyed by our neighbours. That's how I get them to like me.