Having a problem with this apple pie recipe

[madmax]

I've made about 9 of these since Christmas. Don't ask but, I'll tell -- ^12lbs.

It's really good!! :rofl: However, it doesn't call for cinnamon so I've tried it with and it's good but, I think I like it without. Either way I'll eat it ;)

From the recipe you can read that the liquid filling in poured over the lattice crust. I've made it that way and just poured the liquid over the apples and did added the whole top crust method. Love both.

The problem is that the liquid no matter how it's done over the lattice or directly over the apples always comes out too runny - I'd like it to 'set up' a little. Have let it sit all day and still runny. Would adding extra flour to the butter help? If so, how much? This is the first time I've ever baked a pie. Maybe that's why I can't stop!

I plan to become a pie baking fool as soon as I master this one. I'll move on to Cherry and every kind of fruit pie. Like I told my mr. max - an apple a day keeps the doctor away. His reply. ONE APPLE - not the WHOLE PIE. :rofl: After 28 years he knows I'm OC. Mrs. Smith's frozen Apple Pie was my favorite - now that I've made this pie I can never eat another frozen pie.


Apple Pie by Grandma Ople By: MOSHASMAMA

"This was my grandmother's apple pie recipe. I have never seen another one quite like it. It will always be my favorite and has won me several first place prizes in local competitions. I hope it becomes one of your favorites as well!" 5 Star reviews by +3600

Ingredients
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
2.Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
3.Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.
Footnotes

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Apple-Pie-by-Grandma-Ople/Detail.aspx

[cbayer]

1. Cook it until it gets syrupy.

I usually sugar and flour the fruit after I cut it and let some of the juice leach out, then cook the liquid into a syrup.

I am interested to see what other suggestions you get.

[madmax]

2. Just wondering if sugaring the fruit would make

it too sweet. Or would you use some of the sugar that is called for in the recipe and not additonal sugar?

I bought some more apples yesterday and they're calling me. I'm resisting but, I think they'll win.

[housewolf]

3. Ditto Cbayer's suggestion

Combine your apple slices (about 1/4" slices), sugars and water in a bowl and allow them to macerate for anywhere between 30 minutes and 3 hrs (If you like, you could also add 1 tbls lemon juice, a bit of cinnamon (1/2 to 1-1/2 tsp) and a bit of nutmeg (1/4 tsp) and some salt (1/4 tsp)). You could make the crust and line the pan with the bottom crust, then refrigerate while the apples are macerating - this allows the crust to relax.

Strain off the apple juice into a small saucepan (preferable non-stick) through a collander. Add the butter to the juice and boil the apple juice/butter down over medium heat down to 1/3 - 1/2 c liquid (you'll need to exeriment to figure out how much you want). It should be syrupy and lightly caramelized. Swirl it while it's cooking but don't stir it (to avoid sugar crystalization).

Transfer the apples to a large bowl and toss with the flour (or 2 tbls cornstarch). Pour the hot syrup over the apples (it may harden a little but don't worry, it will dissolve during baking, and toss gently so that all the apples are covered with the sugared sauce. Pour the apples into the bottom crust. Then cover with with your lattice crust.

[madmax]

5. Ok, mixing the syrup with the apples

in a bowl instead of pouring it over the apple slices that are already in the pie plate. Several differences that may make the difference - reducing the liquid, lemon juice, salt, and cinammon & nutmeg.

Macerating the apples was mentioned in a few of the reviews but, I'm an impatient baker ;)

Thanks for the tips. Another pie coming up!

[housewolf]

13. Reducing the liquid...

I've actually never seen an apple pie recipe before that had you adding water. Most recipes call for a tablespoon or two of lemon juice, but 1/4 cup of water... I'm not sure what that's about. But your recipe also calls for more flour than most - generally what I've seen is about 2 tbls flour with the addition of only 1 tbls or so liquid (the lemon juice). So still, that extra tbls of flour is unlikely to thicken the additonal 1/4 c of water sufficiently.

The recipe also calls for about double the amount of butter than most recipes, so there's additonally liquid, too.

[MagickMuffin]

4. I usually cook the apples on the stove top for a few minutes

If I were to use this recipe, I would cut down on the butter by half as well as the sugar, cornstarch in place of the flour, and instead of using water I would use lemon juice.

So my approach would be place the cut apples in a large skillet, add the butter, cornstarch, lemon juice and sugar. Cook until it starts getting juicy, thick, and bubbly. I also prebake my crust for a few minutes. Keep in mind since you already precooked the apple filling you don't need to bake as long as in the recipe. When the crust is brown take out of the oven.


Good Luck and let us know if you decide this route.

[madmax]

6. Just a few tweaks with your version.

"...I would cut down on the butter by half as well as the sugar, cornstarch in place of the flour, and instead of using water I would use lemon juice."

By cooking the apples first and then baking they don't get too mushy?

I'll be playing around with this for a while. I hope my neighbors like apple pie!

Thanks for the tips. My next endevor will be a cherry pie or strawberry/rhubarb pie.

[trud]

10. cornstarch

I also thought cornstarch was used instead of flour in pie fillings, because it gives a translucent effect that flour doesn't. But I'm not a pie making maven.

[housewolf]

12. You are correct, that's one reason. Here's another...

Cornstarch has more thickening power than either flour or tapioca (other ingredients often used to thicken fruit juices in pies), so you can use less of it. It also doesn't add that pasty taste thata flour does.

[madmax]

15. Neither am I ;) nt

[MagickMuffin]

14. The apples don't get mushy at all because you're not really cooking them that long

You're only cooking the filling until it becomes thickened, therefore the apples are still firm. I also use this technique for cherry pies. It seems to work out just fine.


:hi:

[grasswire]

7. so basically you are making a roux

...with the butter and flour, and then stirring the sugar and water into it, simmering that and pouring it over the apples. Right? But the proportions of fat to flour are not really balanced in order to have a thickened fruit pie. What about trying 3 T butter to the 3 T flour?

[madmax]

16. After reading a few comments about corn starch

how about 3TB of 3TB CS. Baking seems to me to be a lot like chemistry and I'm wasn't very good at that either :hi:

[Tesha]

8. when I make a roux...

I always use the same amount of flour as butter, but never tried it for a pie.:shrug:


When making a pie my Mom would mix the apples along with the sugar and spices and a little lemon juice in the same bowl thatas the pie crust was made.

Then add the filling to the crust, sprinkle it with tapioca and a dab or two of butter and add the top crust...

isn't lattice fun? :hi:

[tigereye]

9. corn starch? Seem to remember that's common in quite

a few liquid-y pies.

[madmax]

17. Mascerating and corn starch are the tweaks

I'm going to try on the next pie.

[Lucinda]

11. When working with apples I have found that the sooner they go into the crust then into the oven

the less extra fluid you have. If you let them sit around, sliced, while you prep other things it may be part of the problem.

[madmax]

18. Made another pie last night.

Yes, it's getting crazy. This was before you all posted your tweaks.

I did let the butter, flour, sugar, and brown sugar cook longer than usual which came out thicker than I usually have. It's a little better. Now I'm going to use several other tweaks next time, I think I'll try to make it through the weekend and not make another pie.

Speaking of which, I hear a piece of pie and a cup of coffee screaming my name. :rofl:

Thanks for all the tips.

[grasswire]

19. when I baked pies for the coffee shop...

...I had to make the apple pies a little thicker than I always do at home. So I tossed the apple slices in 2 T flour (for a deep dish pie), put half the apples in the pastry and sprinkled with half the sugar-spice, then added the rest of the apples, topped with the other half sugar-spice, then dotted with a few bits of butter before adding top crust. But that is a different animal from your pie recipe.

[Lucinda]

20. I toss the apples in my mix (with vinegar) then pop in the crust and do the butter thing

Makes a wonderful filling and is much less complicated than pouring a filling-y sauce into the pie.

[madmax]

22. I love E Z

I can try all the variations and tips you guys posted without making the same pie twice for 6 months.

:grouphug:

I :loveya: DU

[madmax]

21. Never having baked I didn't think anything of

the 1 stick of butter but, the pie really has a very buttery flavor. It could also be why it's so loose.

I think the one I made the night before last has finally done it for me. Bet I can go a whole week now without making another one.

Going to cut the butter, switch from flour to corn starch, macerate the little puppies and play around with it. Everyone has been completely edible so I don't feel I'm wasting food.