Pies

Tuesday I went over to a friend's and we made an orange-glazed apple pie that was really good. Rebecca is one of those people who can throw together a fabulous, flakey crust and make it look easy.

Which is why I felt the need to try it at home yesterday. It was raining and I thought a baking project was a good idea. I also cooked dinner and did a couple loads of laundry (even though I had to take the stairs - with baby, laundry and detergent in hand - because the elevator is not working). It actually went pretty well, considering, and I think I've gotten enough pie crusts under my belt that I'm getting better at it. While the process went well, this crust didn't turn out that great, kind of crumbly, maybe because I overworked it or because I used unbleached flour (which I've read has more gluten than bleached).

I used six cups of four different kinds of apples: ginger gold, gala, granny smith and macintosh. I tossed the slices with a couple tablespoons of flour, a big teaspoon of cinnamon, some fresh nutmeg gratings and a couple handfuls of sugar. I made a crumb topping because I didn't have enough butter for a second crust (1/2 cup each flour and brown sugar and 3 tablespoons butter worked together with my fingers). I liked this filling/crumb combo, even though I think they both needed more flavor, maybe some ginger, orange or more cinnamon. I usually go for oatmeal and nuts in the topping but I enjoyed the straightforward simplicity and crunchiness of this topping. The filling held together perfectly for a very neat slice.