Tag Archives: pie

Apple pecan pie

Highly Coveted Apple Pecan Upside-down Pie

I’m not sure you can get more delicious than this…well you can my husband says, but we’ll have to save the Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie for another day :).

This is a super easy pie, not too sweet, but perfect for company.  I’ve yet to find a person that doesn’t like a classic apple pie with nuts on top.  I most recently made two with one being for “friend’s night” and the other was given to my neighbors as a “howdy, we’re new in the neighborhood” gesture.  Both parties gave it RAVE reviews.

Anyway, the recipe originally came from a My Recipes website, but I’ve modified it some as I’ve made it based on feedback (mostly from my husband).

Ingredients:
1-1.5 cups pecans (I’ve chopped and I’ve left whole…either works well)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3-1/2 cup butter melted (use 1/2 if you use the 1.5 cups nuts)

2 Pie crusts (top and bottom) (you can use store bought if you are crunched for time or make your own)

6-8 apples peeled and sliced thick (I used a variety of kinds.  You choose!  Basically you want enough to heap)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1-2 Tablespoons cinnamon (we love cinnamon so this is a lot. You decide if you want more or less)
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Putting it together: (Pre-heat oven to 350 F)

1. Take the first three ingredients and mix them well (pecans, butter and brown sugar).  Pack them into the bottom of a pie pan.
2. Lay the pie crust out on top of the nut mix with it centered on the pie pan.
3. In a separate large bowl mix the remaining ingredients (apples, sugar, flour,  cinnamon, nutmeg), until the apples are coated.  Then HEAP the apples onto the pie crust that should be centered on the nuts and pie plate.
4. Finally put the second pie crust over the apples and “join” together with the other pie crust by crimping the two pie crusts together.  I do this in an up direction since I’ll be dumping the pie out on a plate later.
5. Cut slits in the top of the pie to release steam and place on a cookie sheet with sides.  THIS PIE WILL BOIL OUT A BIT.  So unless you want an oven filled with apple juice on the bottom, do this!
6. Bake at 350 F for about an hour to an hour fifteen minutes.  It should be golden brown on top.  If you have an oven that browns too much, put some tinfoil on top.
7.  Once done, pull out and let cool for 10 minutes and then put a large plate over the pie and carefully flip it out onto the plate.  It’s helpful to have a second person here to scrap out some of the sticking nuts or crust.

And VOILA!, delicious pie, hot and ready for serving.

We usually serve with a small scoop of ice cream and most recently served with a Salted Caramel Ice Cream and it was A-W-E-S-O-M-E!

Apple pecan pie

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Apples all Winter Long-How to freeze apples to enjoy them all winter

I was recently at a friend’s house and she introduced me to freezing apples.  Really this should have been a no brainer, but for whatever reason it never entered this girl’s brain!  Apple pie is one of my main go-to pies for company or special occasions and it’s always shocking to see the winter and early summer prices.  So when she asked me to help her prep her apples for freezing I was in!

First, I always wash my apples in the sink with a white vinegar/water solution.  I fill the sink half full of water and add about 1/2 cup vinegar.  Even though I’m going to peel my apples, I want as much of the pesticides and waxy residue off as I can.  I soak the batch of apples about 10 minutes and then drain the sink and rinse.

Second, we start peeling.  Some people hate peeling, but I’ve always kind of enjoyed it.  See it’s a game…how many apples can I peel from top to bottom making one continuous spiral of peel?  Come on, if you’ve ever peeled apples you know you’ve secretly done this.  And you know the disappointment you feel when that continuous chain is broken.

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Next, using an apple slicer, I divide each apple into perfect wedges and then place the slices in a bath of water and lemon juice.  No science necessary here, just a bowl of water with 5 or 6 squeezes of lemon juice in it.  Let it sit for a bit and then strain the slices out and place them in pre-labeled freezer bags.  If you’re into vacuum sealing you could do that as well, but for me, I saved my Foodsaver bags for meats.

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The assembly line of apple prep: 1. Peeling/cutting area with the ever important computer streaming Dave Ramsey!), 2. Lemon/water bath, 3. Straining and apple storage bowl and 4. The Ziploc bag labeling and storage area.
The assembly line of apple prep: 1. Peeling/cutting area with the ever important computer streaming Dave Ramsey!, 2. Lemon/water bath, 3. Straining and apple storage bowl and 4. The Ziploc bag labeling and storage area.

Now you’re set to seal them up, flatten them out and freeze them for a snowy day!  I’ll be using mine later this year to make things like applesauce, pies and who knows what else I’ll dream up!  Enjoy having fall’s harvest all winter.  Even better is all the prep work is done.  Just set in the refrigerator to defrost and VOILA, ready to use.  I might just go and buy another 30 pounds 😉