An homage to The Pie Hole

Have you ever seen the TV show Pushing Daisies? It was so good (like seriously good; you should watch it on Netflix — today). Ned the pie maker has the magical ability to bring the dead back to life with a simple touch. When he isn’t using his power to solve murders or bring his used-to-be-dead girlfriend back to life, he spends his days baking pie after pie at his shop, The Pie Hole. The show was clever and quirky and filled with a great cast (including the oh-so-good-in-everything-she-does Kristin Chenoweth). Sadly, it was taken from us too soon. Where’s Ned when you need him?

So as an homage to The Pie Hole, I bring to you my favorite apple pie. Classic. Sweet. Delicious. Just like that gem of a show.

Remember these bad boys? I figured it was high time I turned them into something, so I pulled out the good-as-gold apple pie recipe I tore from the pages of Good Housekeeping two years ago (it was the issue with Jon and Kate Plus 8 on the cover. Tear.) I’ve modified it slightly from the original, the biggest differences being lots more apples, a bit more spices and non-homemade crust (I know, I’m embarrassed). If you’d like to see the original recipe, click here. But my version is pretty yummy, if I do say so myself.

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• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 1/2 pounds apples (I like to use Granny Smith, Braeburn or my newfound love, Arkansas Black)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (fresh is best, but out of the bottle is just fine)
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons raw sugar (for sprinkling magic)
• 2 pre-made pie crusts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel, core and slice apples into wedges (16 an apple is about right). Place one of the pie crusts in a deep glass or ceramic pie plate. Press gently against the plate, but don’t stretch the dough (or you’ll have bubbled up, doughy craziness going on).

In a large bowl, mix together sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

Add apples and lemon juice to dry mixture, and coat evenly (it should look like glistening, yummy apple glop when it’s done).

Spoon apple mixture into pie crust, then scatter the cubes of butter on top.

Place second pie crust over the apples, and fold edges in so they meet the bottom crust. Cut a few small vents in the top of the pie crust (or polka dots if you’d prefer). Brush with egg white, then sprinkle raw sugar over the top (this is the trick that makes out-of-the-box pie crust look and taste super homemade).

Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. After about 40 minutes, cover pie with a tent of foil to keep the crust from burning. Cool for a bit, and then enjoy. And don’t forget the vanilla ice cream. A là mode is a là yummy.

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Can you believe those ugly apples turned into something so delicious? They seriously are the best pie apples I’ve ever had. So Black Apples and the Duggars. Arkansas has got it going on.

What’s your favorite pie recipe? Do you have any tips or tricks you’d like to share? Can’t wait to hear them!

XO,
Katrina

P.S. If you need a little help getting in the pie-making spirit, check this out. It’s mighty catchy.