Let's get in the kitchen.

Please enjoy my newest blog, featuring recipes prepared by members of my family tree. The following is the first of such culinary delights, more to come in the days and weeks ahead, it's time to start the oven.

Deluxe Apple Pie

This recipe comes from my grandmother's cookbook of 1959, enjoy.

Ingredients:

6 cups thinly sliced apples (preferably Mutsu)

6 tbsp. white sugar

6 tbsp. brown sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup butter

1/2 tsp. lemon rind

6 tbsp. whipping cream

1 pastry recipe

Directions:

Prepare pastry and line a 9 inch pie plate, reserving some for top crust. De-core and peel apples. Combine sugars, flour, cinnamon and salt together, and then mix with apples. Spread apple mixture into unbaked pastry shell. Dot with butter and sprinkle with lemon rind. Pour whipping cream over top, and then cover with top crust, sealing carefully; and making slits to allow steam to escape. Bake in a preheated oven at 450 degrees F. for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking 20 to 30 minutes, or until apples are cooked. 

Pastry Recipe (for pie)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup shortening

1/3 cup ice cold water

Directions:

Mix flour, salt and baking powder together. Cut in shortening with two knives. Add water a little bit at a time using enough to bind mixture so that the dough can be patted lightly to form a ball. Handle as little as possible. Form 2/3 of dough into a round disc and place on lightly floured board. Save remaining dough for top crust. Roll dough from centre outward with a light even pressure to form a circle 1/8 inches thick and an inch larger than the pie plate. Fold double and lift gently into pie plate. Do not stretch. Trim edges allowing 1/4 to 1/2 inches extra all around. Put in generous amount of filling. Heap fruit filling in centre, because it will cook down during baking. Roll out top crust. Fold double and cut slits near centre to again allow steam to escape. Brush edges of under crust with water, and fit top crust over filling, lightly pressing top edge over under crust. Trim edges evenly and flute. Double crust fruit pies with a pre-heated oven at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Then lower heat to 350 degrees until filling is cooked, which should take from 30 to 40 minutes. Serve with your favourite toppings as a dessert.