Joe Gamache's 10-Minute Cooking School #3

This week:

Apple Pie

Since George Washington invented it in 1776, apple pie has become as much a part of our american heritage as baseball, cowboy movies, and obesity. So show your patriotism and dedicate an available afternoon to the construction of this delicious morsel...afterall, you're not a communist, are you?

STEP 1: PIE CRUST

You can easily find a frozen pie crust in a tin dish at your local market ready to thaw and rock'n'roll, but that's no fun and even less tasty, get together the following:

1. 2 cups of Flour
2. 1/2 teaspoon salt
3. 1/2 cup oil
4. 1/4 cup orange juice*

Mix this in a bowl with a fork and divide it in half, then roll the seperate pieces between two sheets of wax paper

*use orange juice in your pie crust if you're making a fruit pie, and milk if you're making a cream or nut pie

STEP 2: INNARDS

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees

Mix and set aside for tossing with apples:

1. 2/3 cup sugar
2. 2 tablespoons Flour
3. 1 teasoon cinnamon

Peel, core, and cut 6-8 tart apples into 1-inch cubes

There are two variations of toppings you can use

VARIATION 1:

1. 1/4 cup of butter (cut into little crumbs)
2. 1/4 cup sugar
3. 1/2 cup flour

VARIATION 2:

1. 1/4 cup of butter (cut into little crumbs)
2. 1/4 cup of flour
3. 1 cup of brown sugar

a) Combine the apples with the first three ingredients and stir.
b) Line a pan with one half of the pie crust dough
c) Dump the apples and sugar/cinnamon/flour combination into the crust shell
d) Mix one of the two variations until crumbly, then sprinkle over apples
e) Blanket the remaining pie crust dough on top of the pie, make sure the edges are tucked in tight
f) bake at 375 for 45-50 minutes

sometimes I run out of pie crust dough too quickly and don't have enough to completely cover the top of the pie. If this happens, just cut it into strips and criss-cross them over the top in a basket-weave kind of fashion. I learned this recipe from a recovering cancer patient, which means it has otherwordly powers from beyond the grave, and so far it's lived up to that reputation. Enjoy