This pie is all my own creation. My mother baked magnificent pies and was well known for them. When I was growing up, we each got to pick the kind of pie she would make that week for Sunday dinner and I usually chose apple. My brother Freeman chose lemon meringue, Chuckie chose blueberry, Gracie chose pecan, Avis asked for graham cracker pie, I made the filling with lots of citrus for its fresh, clean taste. The crust uses only vegetable shortening because that’s how my mother made it. If I see a pie crust recipe that calls for butter, I’ll try it.
Island Apple Pie
Linda Greenlaw & Martha Greenlaw, Recipes From a Very Small Island
Flaky Pie Crust
2¼ cups cold all-purpose flour
¾ cup cold solid vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon salt
5 to 6 Tablespoons ice water
Filling
4 pounds granny smith or other firm, tart apples
¾ cup sugar, plus 1 teaspoon for sprinkling
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh orange juice
Zest of 1 lemon or 1 small orange
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Make the crust. In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour several times to aerate it. Add half of the shortening to the bowl and using two knives, a fork, pastry blender, or your fingers, work the shortening into the flour until it resembles course meal. Add the remaining shortening and work it in until it resembles small peas.
Dissolve the salt in 5 Tablespoons of the water and add to the flour mixture. Stir lightly with a fork. If the mixture holds together, do not add the remaining Tablespoon of water. If it’s too dry, add the rest of the water.
Gently gather the dough into a mass and wrap it in wax paper. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or as long as overnight. Preheat the oven to 350°. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes to get the chill off. Divide the dough into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other. Return the smaller piece to the refrigerator.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the larger piece of dough into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Carefully drape the dough in a 9-inch pie dish, pressing gently along the bottom and up the sides. Leave the overhang. Peel, core, and slice the apples into thin wedges or small chunks.
In a large bowl, toss the apples with the sugar, juices, and zest. Add the flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg and toss to coat. Spoon the apple mixture into the pie crust.
Remove the other piece of dough from the refrigerator and let it sit for about 10 minutes before rolling on a lightly floured surface to a diameter of 11 inches. Drape over the top of the pie. Turn the bottom overhang up over the top crust, trim any excess, and using a fork, crimp the two crusts together. Vent the top crust with two or three small slits.
Bake in the center of the oven for about 1 hour, or until the crust is lightly browned and the filling is bubbling. If the edge of the crust gets a little dark, shield with aluminum foil. Let the pie cool on a wire rack before serving.
Serves 10.
Martha Greenlaw is a cookbook author, MF&L columnist, and Isle au Haut resident.
