The best pie crust ever and apple pie you don't have to share.

  I've never really been a fan of pie crust. Most people I know insist that it's okay to just use the store bought kind, but to me it always tastes kind of oily and off. Something has always seemed like it was missing. It wasn't nearly flaky enough, or had any real flavor independently from the filling. There are certain things you simply don't mess with, this recipe is one of them and has won a spot quickly in my family. I used this recipe when I made my apple pie while visiting my family in Connecticut, and amongst the highest of compliments I received was a recipe request from my Oma! Oma has been a big inspiration for my cooking from the very beginning. Her meals are what you aspire to make. I was so happy to share my pie with her and Opa.

The Best Ever Pie Crust
From Allrecipes.com.
Makes enough dough for a double crusted pie, or several ramekins


2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup shortening
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup ice cold water

  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, shortening and salt. You are going to want to combine this until the mixture is kind of crumbly. In my opinion, the best way to cut shortening or butter into pastry, is with the best tools you can find. Your hands!

  You will want your mixture to resemble this. For the next step, I suggest you let your 1/2 cup of water chill in a cup with some ice for a few minutes to make sure it is very cold. This is key for the texture of the crust, so don't bypass this. Once the water is very cold, pour it into the mixture.

  Work the dough into a nice large ball. Do not overwork the dough, as it will ruin the texture of the crust as well. (Although it will still taste great, it won't be nearly as flaky.)

  Divide your dough into two halves, then wrap them well in cling wrap. Refrigerate for at least four hours, or for up to two days. I prefer to let mine chill overnight as this gives the best results. This recipe is versatile and keeps well in the freezer. I am planning on using it for mini pot pies in the near future. Even though it isn't low calorie, it can still be a great addition to a meal in moderation.

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  This pie is something I plotted over many months. It started as a craving from nowhere. I don't usually rave about apple pie, or even really want it since I never liked crust and usually picked it off. Suddenly I just needed homemade apple pie with a fresh crust. My husband hates pie. Hates is an understatement. He was still kind enough to try a bite to amuse me, but he always reels afterward. I was able to make this pie in full size when I visited Connecticut because I had a group of people that loved pie, not to mention a horde of fresh apples from an orchard that we picked together. After making it for them, I realized that this recipe is so simple to do, and easy enough to scale down. Below I have scaled down a fantastic recipe for a apple pie that will knock your socks off, but only leave you with two servings and the very real option of not sharing with anyone. For this recipe I used a 7 oz. ramekin. Also, I apologize for the quality of some of the pictures. My digital camera decided it wanted to break without warning mid-cooking, so I had to opt to use my phone camera. I don't know when i'll be able to afford a new one, so please forgive me!

LC's personal Apple Pie's ala Ople

Adapted from Grandma Ople's Apple Pie.

Two servings

1 apple (I used Gala, but we also have a very limited selection here. Were I back home, i'd use a Cortland.)

2 tablespoons I Can't Believe It's Not Butter light (If you don't care about calories, you can opt to use butter. Using the ICBINB light saves you over 100 calories.)

2 tablespoons Splenda

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons flour

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon eggbeaters

Pie crust. If you made the recipe above, you are only going to need half of one of the balls you made.

  Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Start by making a prep area to roll out your dough. Break the half you took from your dough recipe and form it into two balls. Lightly dust the top of the dough so your rolling pin (if you don't have one.. like I do, a glass bottle or cup will work fine) won't stick. 

  Roll your dough out until it is reasonably thin, fits into the bottom of the ramekin and has a slight edge over the lip of the dish. 

  Peel, core and cut your apple. I like to cut my pieces thinly, as this let's them almost melt when cooking. It's nice to have a little variation in size of pieces though as it's also nice to have something to bite into. Because of the size of the ramekin, I suggest you cut the pieces in half. This will make it easier to arrange the apples into the pie crust.

                           

  Evenly place your apple into the ramekin filling as much space as possible. It's okay to have it mounded on the top a bit, as the top crust will form a nice lid and the apple will settle a little during the baking process. Once you are done filling the ramekin, get out a small sauce pan and set it to medium heat. Melt the 2 tablespoons of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter. When the butter has melted completely, add 2 1/4 teaspoons of flour to the butter and stir until it forms a paste. Add sugar, brown sugar and the water. Bring the combination to a boil and then simmer for a few minutes. You will want this to have the consistency of caramel. If it is too thick, add a little more water. Do not cook this for longer than five minutes, and stir constantly or it will burn! Once this is done cooking, drizzle it evenly over the apples.

  Roll out your top crust from what remains of your dough. I like to leave this for last so I can work around the amount of apples that are mounded. Gently place the dough over the top of the apples, making sure that the dough reaches down to the other half of the crust. Go around the edges with a fork and crimp. This will create a nice seal for the pie. Using a brush, coat the top of the crust with eggbeaters. Cut a few small slits in the top of the pie. Place the ramekin onto a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crust has browned lightly.

  Now it won't matter if no one else wants pie. This works nicely for a little treat, or if you have a family of people with different tastes like mine. This apple pie is truly different then any I had before, but in a good way!

  The flavor of the crust combines so well with the flavor of the apple. Although this is in no means low calorie, it offers a great example of how easy portion control can allow you to be a little "bad" sometimes without cutting all of the corners. Enjoy!