Show Us Your Life- Thanksgiving

Hi! I am so sorry for the lack of posts in the last week. We took a long weekend last week and then of course I came down with a cold! I am back in the saddle now so here come the posts. It's Show Us Your Life Friday again over at Kelly's Korner. This week everyone is sharing their Thanksgiving recipes and traditions. Last year I baked this delicious apple pie recipe from Paula Deen and got soooo many compliments. We do a pot luck with tons of in laws, out laws, and extended family :) So I was very pleased with myself that this little recipe impressed so many. It is amazingly simple for apple pie (I think I used the roll out dough rather than making my own) and so delicious.

Paula Deen Crunch Top Apple Pie

Dough and Filling:
Paula’s Perfect Pie Crust, recipe follows
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash of salt
3 1/2 cups peeled, chopped cooking apples
1 16-ounce jar applesauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter, chopped into small pieces

Crunch Topping:
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
Dash of salt
1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature



Paula’s Perfect Pie Crust:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
3 tablespoons granulated white sugar
1/4 cup vegetable shortening, cold
12 tablespoons butter, (1 1/2 sticks) cold and cubed
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup ice water

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Line a 9-inch pie pan with half of dough. Combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Stir in the apples, applesauce, and lemon juice. Spoon the apple mixture into pie pan and dot with butter. Cut remaining crust into strips; arrange in a lattice design over top of pie.

For crunch topping:

Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Using a fork, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over top of crust. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees F and continue to bake for about 45 minutes, or until crust and topping are golden brown.

Paula’s Perfect Pie Crust:

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt and sugar. Add the shortening and break it up with your hands as you start to coat it all up with the flour. Add the cold butter cubes and work it into the flour with your hands or a pastry cutter. Work it quickly, so the butter doesn’t get too soft, until the mixture is crumbly, like very coarse cornmeal. Add the ice water, a little at a time, until the mixture comes together forming a dough. Bring the dough together into a ball. When it comes together stop working it otherwise the dough will get over-worked and tough. Divide the dough in half and flatten it slightly to form a disk shape. Wrap each disk in plastic and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours. On a floured surface roll each disk out into a 10 to 11-inch circle to make a 9-inch pie.

Yield: 2 (9-inch) pie crusts
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen, 2007
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes