Granny’s Apple Pie
For the Crust
1 ½ cups flour
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons milk
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
I teaspoon salt
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together until evenly blended. Pat mixture into a 9-inch pan, spreading the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of your pie pan. Crimp edges of the dough.
For the Filling
6 cups sliced and peeled apples
¾ cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
Mix sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg all together. Sprinkle over the apples and toss to coat. Spread evenly in pie shell.
For the Topping
½ cup flour
½ cup sugar
½ cup butter
Using a pastry cutter, mix the flour, sugar, and butter until crumbly in texture. Sprinkle over apples.
Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
The Backstory
Apples always come to mind when I think of fall. I have taken my kiddos to apple orchards to pick apples in autumn a handful of times. When I was young, apple orchards weren’t necessary. My grandparents had a couple of different apple trees in their backyard, so we had no shortage of apples. My grandma would make several pies in early fall and freeze them for the family to enjoy at Thanksgiving. I was an adult when I finally sat down with her to learn the ins and outs of apple pie making. She didn’t pull out a recipe card; she knew her recipe by heart. She recited it as I hurriedly wrote it down.
I am sure there are other recipes that produce a better pie. Or perhaps aren’t quite as rustic looking. But for me, this pie is perfect. This is still my go-to apple pie recipe. One bite of this and I am transported back to another time. A simpler time.
