Pies

Here are two very good recipes.They are a little bit intensive but the result is superb. They are from "The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook"

Classic Apple Pie
2 pounds McIntosh Apples(4-6) peeled, cored and cut to 1/4 inch thick
1 1/2 pounds granny smith apples (3 to 4) peeled, cored and sliced to 1/4 inch thick
3/4 c. plus 1 Tbs sugar
2 T flour
1 Tbl. lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 recipe double crust pie dough - bottom crust fit into a pie pan (recipe see below)
1 egg white

1. Adjust oven rack to the lowest position, place a rimmed baking sheet on the tack, and heat the oven to 500 degrees. Toss the apples with 3/4 cup sugar, flour, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and spices and set aside.
2. Roll out the top crust to a 12 inch circle. Spread the apples in the unbaked pie shell, mounding them slightly in the middle. Lay the top crust over the apples and crimp the edges and cut flour vent holes in the top. Brush the crust with the egg white and sprinkle with the remaining 1 T sugar.
3. Place the pie on the heated baking sheet and lower the temperature to 425 degrees. Bake until the top is golden, about 25 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet, reduce the oven temperature again to 375 degrees and continue to bake until the juices are bubbling and the crust is deep golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes longer. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and cool to room temperature before serving.

The pie can be stored at room temperature, wrapped tightly in foil for up to 2 days.

Variations
Apple Pie with Crystallized Ginger
Toss 3 T chopped crystallised ginger with the sliced apples

Apple Pie with Dried Fruit
Mix the lemon juice with 1 cup raisins (or dried sweet cherries or dried cranberries) and 1 T applejack (brandy or cognac also work well) and let sit for 30 minutes before tossing with the sliced apples
Apple Pie with Fresh Cranberries
Increase the sugar to 1 cup and toss 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries with the sliced apples.

Pumpkin Pie
1 recipe single crust pie dough, partially baked and still hot
Filling:
1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
1 cup backed dark brown sugar
2 tsp. ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c. heavy cream
2/3 c whole milk
4 large eggs

1. After removing the partially baked pie crust from the oven, leave the oven rack at the lower middle position and increase the oven temp to 400 degrees. (The oven must still be hot when the filling is added)
2. For the filling while the crust bakes, process the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, spices and salt in a food processor until combined about 1 minute. Transfer the pumpkin mixture to a to a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Cook the pumpkin, stirring constantly until thick and shiny, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the cream and milk, return to a simmer briefly, then remove from the heat.
3. Process the eggs in the food processor (no need to clean the processor) until uniform about 5 seconds. With the machine running, slowly add about half the hot pumpkin through the feed tube. Stop the machine, add the remaining pumpkin and continue to process the mixture until uniform, about 30 seconds longer.
4. Immediately pour the warm filling into the hot, partially baked crust. If you have any extra filling, ladle it into the pie after it has baked for about five minutes., by which time the filling will have settled. Bake until the filling is puffed and lightly cracked around the edges and the center wiggles slightly when jiggled, about 25 minutes. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and cool until warm or room temp before serving.
The pie can be made ahead and wrapped tightly in plastic for two days.

Single Crust Pie Dough

1 1/4 Cups all purpose flour plus extra for rolling out the dough
1 T sugar
1/3 tsp salt
3 T vegetable shortening cut into 1/2 inch pieces and chilled
4 T unsalted butter cut into 1/4 inch pieces and chilled
4-6 Tablespoons ice water


Double Crust Pie Dough
makes enough for one 9 inch pie
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out the dough
2 T sugar
1 T salt
8 T shortening, cut into 1/2 inch pieces, chilled
12 T unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces and chilled
6-8 Tablespoons ice water

1. Process the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor until combine. Scatter the shortening over the top and process until the mixture has the texture of coarse san, about 10 seconds. Scatter the butter pieces over the top and using short pulses, process the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. transfer to a bowl.
2. Sprinkle 6 tablespoons of the ice water over the mixture. Stir and press the dough together, using a stiff rubber spatula until the dough sticks together. If the dough does not come together, stir in the remaining water 1 Tbl. at a time until it does.
3. Divide the dough into two even piecesand flatten each into a 4 inch disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour. Let the chilled dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling it out and fitting it into a pie pan.


Blind Baking A Pie Crust
Certain pies require that the crust be par baked before the filling is added because the pie wont be in the oven long enough to brown adequately.
1. Line the chilled pie crust with a double layer of aluminum foil, covering the edges to prevent burning.
2. Fill the crust with pie weights or pennies and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. After baking carefully remove the weights and either let the crust cool ( for a partially baked crust) or continue to bake for 12 minutes more (for a fully baked crust).

Happy holiday!