Shannon here: Miralee Ferrell shares her mom’s recipe for apple pie plus a chance to win her latest historical novella, The Dogwood Blossom Bride included in the 12 Brides of Summer collection. Comment or answer the question at the end of the post to enter the drawing. Deadline: Nov 21st, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Miralee:
It’s often said that the way to man’s heart is through his stomach, and I think it applies even more when it comes to homemade pie, with apple ranking right near the top. Here’s my mom’s recipe (and the one I use) for wonderful pie crust and apple pie. Share it with your honey and he’ll love you forever!
Crust recipe:
5 cups flour
Cut in 2 cups shortening until crumbly
Add and mix:
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
In separate mixing cup/pitcher, crack one small to medium egg, beat well. Add 1.5 Tablespoons vinegar to egg, then add water to the 2 cup mark. Mix part at a time into flour mixture until dough consistency is reached. If too damp to roll out, add a little more flour or don’t add quite all the water/egg mix if it’s not needed.
Roll out flour. Crust mix will make two full pies with enough left over for at a single crust pie.
For an awesome apple pie use Granny Smith or Gravenstine apples. If neither can be found, use the most tart apple possible (Braeburn is a good secondary choice). Slice apples (not thick wedges, but slices) until pie plate is half full.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup of sugar over apples and lightly dust with cinnamon. Then
add the balance of the apples until heaping full as apples shrink.
Add another ½ cup of sugar if tart apples were used, or 1/3 if not. Sprinkle top again with cinnamon—cover but not heavy or thick.
Top with pie crust, pinch edges to seal, slit crust in half dozen places to vent steam. Cook on 350 for about 45 min. But the best way to tell is if the crust is slightly golden and a sharp knife goes in and out easily. Apples should be very soft and give no resistance to a knife.
About Miralee: Miralee Ferrell’s debut novel released in the fall of 2007, and fifteen more have followed. Her historical western romance, Love Finds You in Sundance, WY, won the Will Rogers Excellence in Western Fiction award in 2012, and her first book in the four-book Love Blossoms in Oregon series, Blowing on Dandelions, hit the ECPA Best Seller list. Since then she’s ventured into writing horse novels for middle-grade kids, and opened her own publishing company, Mountain Brook Ink, featuring Christian fiction. Miralee and her husband have been married over 40 years and live in the beautiful Columbia Gorge in WA State, where she loves to ride horses, garden, take walks, play with her dogs, and minister to women. Learn more and connect: Miralee’s Website Miralee’s Facebook
About the book – 12 Brides of Summer novella collection – The Dogwood Blossom Bride: Gracie Addison is a tree-climbing tomboy, and practical Will Montgomery objects to her unladylike influence on his niece. Will his judgmental attitude come back to bite him?
Can’t wait for the drawing:
Amazon – 12 Brides of Summer BarnesandNoble – 12 Brides of Summer
Question for readers: Do you like cake or pie best? What flavor is your favorite?
Come back Nov 16th for Miralee’s romantic excerpt!
I love cake best and especially chocolate
Hi Miralee! I am a pie person and chocolate is my favorite.
I like pie best, because it is more of a hands-on project. I like coconut cream pie best.
I think I like pie best and my favorites are Pecan and coconut Cream.
I love Chocolate Silk Pie!
I’m a pie kind of gal. Turtle is my favorite. But recently I’ve had banana split that was awesome. And possum pie – layers of chocolate, cream cheese, and coconut cream. It was yummy.
Hey, gals! Love all the pie and cake flavors. It’s making me hungry! I made chocolate chip/oatmeal/coconut cookies yesterday (melt in your mouth yummy) but now I’m wanting pie. So glad to see all of you here!
I love a good piece of pie!
Usually cake, UNLESS it’s Pecan Pie, lol.
wfnren at aol dot com
Pie! Any kind with a good homemade crust; choice? Coconut Cream
I am more of a cake gal. My favorites are chocolate and carrot cake.
I love both……cake would be Dream cake which is a light chocolate cake with whipped cream between the layers and frosting sprinkled with chocolate curls…….pie would be custard or apricot!
Thanks for the giveaway and the interview!
We are HUGE pie fans! Personally as a 5’1″ and 120lbs, I can take down a half pumpkin or Apple pie on any occasion. I am also a cake person, It’s a great thing I run because I love sweets!
yellow cake with whipped vanilla frosting
Pie is my preference with apple being my favorite. I will definitely be trying Miralee’s above recipe. I prefer gravenstein’s for my pie, too, but their season is so short. I like using jonagold’s for apple when gravs aren’t available.