Thanksgiving Apple Pie Recipes

When I make Apple pie at Thanksgiving, I usually have to make two of them. One for my husband, which is a basic two - crust pie, and another for my boys; which is kind of like a Dutch Apple Pie. It has a crumb top.

Basic two - crust Apple Pie

Make enough pie dough for a 10" two - crust pie. Divide in half. Roll half out with a rolling pin and lay into bottom of pie plate. Roll the top crust, and leave folded on counter until ready to top the pie.

In a bowl mix together

½ cup of brown sugar

¼ cup white sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon nutmeg

With a fork or pastry blender cut in 3 tablespoons butter and 1 teaspoon of fresh grated orange peel. Set the bowl aside.

7 cups of sliced apples. I like to use Fuji. Sprinkle about ¼ cup orange juice and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Gently stir juice into apples. Put about half of the slices apples into dough that is in the pie plate, and top with half of the sugar mixture. Then put second half of apples, then the rest of the sugar mixture. Put top crust over the mixture, trim and flute. Make slits in the top for venting when the apples bake. Sprinkling a little white sugar over the top crust before baking will give the crust a nice golden color. Bake at 350° F for 35 - 45 minutes.

My Thanksgiving Crumb - topped Apple Pie

Pastry for one - crust pie. Roll out and put in pie plate, and set aside.

In a bowl mix together

1 cup sugar

4 teaspoons flour

¾ teaspoon nutmeg

¾ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ cup chopped nuts/raisins or both

Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of this mixture over the bottom of the pie, and then set the rest of it aside.

Thinly slice 6 or 7 large tart apples. I like to use Fuji. Mix the apple slices with the mixture above and put these apple slices in the pie shell, making sure to heap them a bit in the center of the pie. Set aside again.

Mix together in a bowl

¼ cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons flour

1 ½ tablespoons sugar

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of salt

Cut ¼ cup of butter or margarine into this mixture, with a fork or pastry blender. Sprinkle this mixture over apples that are already in the pie shell.

Bake 450° F for 10 minutes, then turn heat down to 350° F for about ½ hour longer. This pie is perfect just the way it is. My kids like it with a scoop of ice cream.