Mom’s Apple Pie
(courtesy of Michael Janik, owner, Michael’s Apples in Reno. Serves 6 to 8)
Though he really prefers to eat apples out of hand for a snack or dessert, just as they are (not to mention in cider), he likes this apple pie recipe from his mom, which also is found on his website, Michaelsapples.com/recipes.
Pie crust dough (Janik uses store bought: “I’m a cook, not a baker.”)
8 to 10 medium-sized, tart apples
½ cup sugar
Dash of cinnamon
Handful of chopped pecans
½ stick (or 4 ounces) butter
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Fill pie pan with dough.
Grate apples into bowl using ¼-inch side of grater. Add sugar, cinnamon, and pecans. Mix well, then put filling into dough-lined pie pan.
Make topping: Put butter in mixing bowl. Cut brown sugar into butter and mix until smooth. Add flour slowly and mix until lumps are smaller than 1 inch. Crumble topping over pie, spreading evenly.
Bake pie for 50 to 60 minutes, until crust and topping are brown. Set aside to cool — no tasting until after dinner!
For a low-carb version (sans crust), Janik lightly butters a 9-by-11-inch, rectangular baking dish, fills it with a mound of sliced apples, and doubles the topping recipe (i.e. Mix 1 stick butter, 1 cup brown sugar, and 1 cup flour; cover and bake at 350 degrees F for about 1 hour).
