How to Make a Fresh Baked Apple Pie from Scratch

The smell of a baking apple pie wafting through your house awakens your senses and your family's attention to you. Your family will have to come wondering through the house to see how soon the apple pie you are baking will be done.

You do not have to spend hours slaving to make and bake an apple pie from scratch. When I talk about from scratch, I am talking about a pie crust that is not frozen or apple pie filling from a can. I am talking about making your pie crust from flour, shortening, salt, and water. I am also talking about using fresh apples from the produce to make the filling.

You will want to preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. You may want to add a baking sheet on the bottom shelf to catch any pie filling that seeps from the crust.

Never Fail Pie Crust Recipe

2 cups flour
1 cup shortening
1tbs. vinegar
1/8 tsp. salt
4 - 6 tbs. water

Combine salt and flour thoroughly. Cut shortening into flour and salt mixture with a fork or pastry cutter.

Add vinegar and a tablespoon of water until you have a soft but firm pie dough to work with. The pie crust should be soft and a bit damp to the touch.

Apple Pie Filling

4 - 6 large red delicious apples
1/4 cup of sugar
2 tbsp. flour
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1tbs. lemon juice

Peel, core, and cut the apples into thin slices. Sprinkle apple slices with lemon juice.

Mix dry ingredients together.

Mix the apples sprinkled in lemon juice to the dry ingredients.

Cinnamon Sugar Mixture

1/4 cup of sugar
½ tbs of cinnamon

Combine cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl.

Putting the Apple Pie together

Pinch pie dough in half.

Roll out each half to fit an 8-inch or 9-inch pie plate on a floured hard surface.

Place one pie crust into the bottom of the pie plate. Make sure the bottom lays flat to the surface of the pie plate.

Pour apple pie filling into pie crust. Place the top pie crust onto the pie plate and filling. Crimp the edges together with your fingers or a fork. Cut vent slits into the top of the apple pie crust. Sprinkle apple pie with cinnamon sugar mixture.

Cover the edge of the apple pie with foil for the first 25 to 30 minutes to keep the edge of the pie from burning.