Apple Pie, Babies, and Job Hunting

I apologize for my hiatus from writing.  I have some good reasons though!  We're expecting baby number two in November right around Thanksgiving.  Another girl, and we are so excited.  So you can probably guess that the last time I wrote was the last time for quite a while that I felt like creating anything in the kitchen!  But now, I'm back to baking and cooking all the time.

My husband has been job hunting all summer long.  I don't think I've ever been so anxious about something (even having a baby) as I have been about waiting to hear back from job interviews.  It should be any day now that we hear either something AWESOME or totally lame.  I feel like I haven't been able to plan anything more than a few days in advance.  Are we moving?  Are we staying?  Do we have enough money for this month?  Should we move in with our parents for a little while?  How do you stay motivated?!  And on top of it, I'm pregnant and I want to paint the girls room, buy a big girl bed, know where I'll deliver the baby, and just stay sane in the process.  So baking has been quite a release for me these last few weeks.  And that said...I have several blog posts for you!

Apple Pie

I love this Apple Pie recipe.  When I first went gluten free there were lots of things that I missed.  And one thing in particular was my mom's apple pie.  I've tried about a dozen different pie crust recipes and this one works the best!  It tastes delicious, is flaky, is easy to use (which I haven't been able to say about ANY OTHER GLUTEN FREE PIE CRUST!), and is everyone's favorite.  This pie crust complements apple pie very well and I haven't tried it with any other pie.  The other amazing thing about this pie crust is that I've made this in 3 different locations.  Low altitude, average humidity; high altitude, dry as a bone; and low altitude, very very humid.  And in every location, it has performed beautifully!  The recipe for the crust comes from the book "The Wheat-Free Cook" by Jacqueline Mallorca.  

The filling for this pie is my mom's original recipe (with a tweak).  

Ingredients: 

Crust:

1/2 cup cornmeal

1 cup sweet white rice flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. xanthan/guar gum

1/4 tsp. fine sea salt

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut in small cubes

1 large egg

Filling:

6 cups (2 lbs.) thinly sliced, peeled, Granny Smith apples

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup sugar

dash of ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 tablespoon butter

1 egg yolk

cinnamon-sugar to sprinkle on top

Instructions:

Step 1: Process the cornmeal in a food processor for 2 minutes until more finely ground.  Add the rice flour, cornstarch, sugar, xanthan or guar gum, and salt, and process to combine.

Step 2: Add the butter, and pulse until it forms pea-sized lumps.  Add the egg, and process briefly to mix.  Add 1 tablespoon ice water, and process briefly to make a ball of dough that barely clings together, adding another teaspoon of water if necessary to make a damp dough. 

Step 3: Turn the dough out, crumbs and all, onto a sheet of plastic wrap, and form into a log with your cupped hands.  Cut in half.  The dough is now ready to use or can be enclosed in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.  

Step 4: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Have ready a 9" pie pan.  Combine the apples, lemon juice, sugar, nutmeg, cornstarch, and cinnamon in a bowl.  Toss to mix.  Set aside.

Step 5: Working with half the dough at a time, roll out between sheets of plastic wrap (I usually use a couple sheets on the bottom overlapping, and a couple sheets on top...but if you buy the HUGE rolls of plastic wrap you may be able to just use one on bottom and one on top.)  Lift the top sheet and tuck in the rough edges (this really helps!), into 11 inch circles.  Set one aside for the top crust.  Use the other circle to line the pie pan. Peel off the top sheet of plastic wrap and flop the dough into place, then carefully peel off the remaining sheet.  

Step 6:  Fill the pastry lined pie plate with the apple mixture; dot with butter.  Cover with the top crust and flute the rim (which actually works with this pie crust, if it's not working seal it with the tines of a fork).  

Step 7: Combine the egg yolk with 1 teaspoon of water, and brush over the top, but not the rim.  Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar.  Cut small slits or prick with tines of fork to let steam escape.  Place the pie pan on a baking sheet to catch any drips.  

Step 8: Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue baking until the filling is tender and the crust is golden brown, about 30 minutes.  I usually have to cover my crust for the last 10-15 minutes with aluminum foil so that it doesn't get too brown.  

Step 9: Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.  :)