Applemania 2011 Recipe Share

It's that time of year again!  The crisp smell of autumn means apple harvesting, baking and preparation for a winters supply of this healthy fall fruit. It also means that it's time for week #1 of Applemania! 

In the theme of Applemania! I'm sharing a little ditty that I've seen floating around Facebook...
"Girls are like apples.. The best ones are at the top of the trees. The boys don't want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they just get the rotten apples that are on the ground that aren't as good, but easy. So the apples at the top think there is something wrong with them, when, in reality, they are amazing. They just have to wait for the right boy to come along, the one who's brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree.."




What is Applemania!?
It's an opportunity for all of us to share our favorite apple recipes!  See some of mine below.  More to come in the weeks ahead.
 
Here's what to do:
Click on the linky below.
Paste in the link to your blog post.  Make sure the link goes directly to your apple recipe and not to your home page.
Be kind and add a link back to Applemania! in your blog post.  I reserve the right to delete any links that don't play fair. :)
Please leave a comment below.

Last year I shared the recipes below for our favorite apple treats.
Baked Apple Dip
Apple Chili
Apple Crisp
Apple Harvest Cookies
Missy's Apple Dip

Of course there's also Apple sauce, Apple butter and ...Homemade Apple Pie!   It's an American tradition!  Everyone has their favorite recipe for apple pie, some handed down through family and friends, some creations of their own or new recipes from cookbooks, TV and internet.  Here's my recipe for a plain and simple Homemade Apple Pie.

I should mention that I'm using as many organic/unprocessed/unrefined ingredients as possible.

First, the crust...this recipe is one handed down from home but familiar to lots of folks in my neck of the woods.
Never-Fail Pie Crust
4 Cups Flour (I'm using organic, unenriched, unbleached flour with added wheat germ.)
2 tsp. real salt
2 cups butter, lard or coconut oil
1 free-range egg (from our coop)
1 tsp. cane juice
1 tsp. raw apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup cold water

Cut butter into flour and salt with a pastry blender or two butter knives until well blended and pea sized lumps form.  Beat the egg and add to water along with vinegar and sugar. Fork blend until moist.  Don't over do it. Chill 1 hour.
Bake @ 375° for 40 minutes for pie crust shell.  For fruit pies bake as directed.

Roll out your crust and line a pie pan.
Cut and peel apples until you have a pie pan full of slices.
Blend 1 cup cane juice and 1 TBSP flour.  Then add to apple slices.
Fill pie crust with apple mix.
Dot the top of the apples with butter.
Roll out a second crust.  Cut a few vent holes in the top ~ get creative!
Moisten the rim of the pie crust shell and place the second crust on top.
Press firmly to seal the edges, trim excess dough, crimp the edges with your fingers or a fork.
Cover the edges with foil or pie shields.

Bake @ 425° for 15 minutes.  Bake @ 375° until filling bubbles @ center.  You'll be able to see it through the vent holes.

Hope you enjoy this family favorite.
We'd love to hear from you. Do you have a favorite apple recipe you'd like to share? Just click the linky below.
If you'd like to share this link up on your blog just grab the code below and paste it into your post!  Let's see how many folks we reach.  Spread Applemania!

Below are some great blogs to go to for all sorts of traditional recipes, healthy tips and simple living ideas.

This post is linked to
Simple Lives Thursday @ GNOWFGLINS
Traditional Tuesdays @ Cooking Traditional Foods
I'm wheedling my way into Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday's Letter X.  Check out the other "X"ccelent posts there!
I'm also sharing with the folks @ Food Renegade and their Fight Back Friday Hop.
And the crowd over @ Jo's Health Corner for Living Well Blog Hop.
Also the folks @ Homestead Revival for the Barn Hop.
Sharing with Sarah and friends @ The Healthy Home Economist's Monday Mania!
Linking up to the Hearth and Soul Blog Hop @ 21st Century Housewife


Sharing with the girls @
and Real Food Wednesdays with Kelly the Kitchen Kop


Much herbal love,