How to bake apple pie (when you have all afternoon and none of the right equipment)

In honor of Pi Day (3/14) I decided to make a simple apple pie. As it turns out, apple pies are not simple when you make them from scratch, and they are especially un-simple when you do not have the following tools:

1. Pie pan (*face palm*)
2. Kitchenaid or stand mixer
3. Rolling pin
4. Apple peeler or slicer
5. Baking skills…

Nonetheless, I did have fun improvising my way through this project and I ended up with these very cute treats:

I though I’d share some pictures of my “ingenuity,” as well as the pie crust recipe I used, since it is based on my Mama (grandma) Sikes’ recipe from our Sikes Family Cookbook.

Pie crust

• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/4 cup softened butter
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup water

(Mama’s recipe included 2 tsp. vinegar, which I completely overlooked, and called for shortening instead of butter. Whoops.)

1. Put all ingredients in a large mixing bowl at one time and mix with stand mixer (or by hand, like I did)
2. This makes two crusts; split dough in half
3. Roll out one half on a floured surface and use a cookie cutter (or cup) to cut out circles to serve as your bottom crust
4. Place these dough circles in a greased cupcake pan and use a fork to poke the bottoms. This is a great tip from Mama’s recipe: to prevent pie shell leakage, rub this mixture into the holes:
   • 1 tsp. flour
   • 1 tsp. sugar
   • Dash of cinnamon (specifically for apple pies)
5. Scoop a dollop of apple pie filling into each mini pie
6. Roll out the other half and cut thin strips to be used as a lattice top
7. Pretend you know how to make a pretty lattice top 😅
8. If you are just baking the crusts, the recipe says to bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. If your apple pie filling has raw apples, as mine did, try this: I baked my pies for 10-12 minutes at 425 degrees. Then, I reduced the heat to 350 degrees and baked for another 35 minutes, or until the crust is browned and the apples are soft when pierced with a fork

I felt like Meg Ryan in “Sleepless in Seattle” as I peeled all of my apples with a knife. It probably took me 30 minutes to do all of the peeling, coring, and chopping, but it was quite satisfying!

Feel free to get your hands in there! I kneaded the pie crust mixture with my hands and it was much easier and faster.

No rolling pin? No problem! I used a plastic cup, and while it did make weird marks, it got the job done! Find a cylindrical object in your kitchen, dust it with flour, and you’re good to go!

The circles I made in the previous picture were a little thick, so I gently pulled on the edges and flattened them before placing them in the pan. These slightly larger and thinner dough circles came up the sides to hold the filling. After eating the pies, my husband and I agreed the bottoms still could have been thinner, so be aware of that.

Here is a picture of Mama’s flour and sugar trick!

Yes, I did eat that leftover filling right out of the pan 🙂

My sad attempt at lattice. If you want the lattice look without the work, I made a tic tac toe board with 4 strips of dough.

Voila! My husband added a mountain of whipped cream to his and we had a small, but delicious, dessert with dinner. And if you’re careful to keep your filling from falling out, you can eat them with your hands!

Thanks for reading my first food post and happy eating!