No Grief Paper Bag Apple Pie Recipes

APPLE PIE BAKED IN A BAG

Steps:

• Make the Crust: In a food processor combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and pulse until pea-sized pieces appear. Add the water and pulse briefly¿it will still look crumbly. Transfer the crumbs to 2 pieces of parchment paper or foil and form into 2 disks. Wrap the discs with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• On a work surface lightly dusted with flour, roll out 1 disk to a circle about 1/8-inch thick. Keep rolling until the circle is at least 2 inches larger than your pan. Line the pie pan with the dough, letting the edge hang over a bit. Roll the second disk, place it on a sheet pan and chill it until you're ready to build your pie.
• Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.
• Make the Filling: In a medium bowl, toss the apple slices, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg together. Transfer to the pie shell and dot with the butter. Brush the overhanging edges of the dough with water. Carefully cover with the rolled-out top crust and pinch the edges together, turning them under all around to make a thick edge. To decorate the rim, press it all around with the back of a fork, or just pinch it to seal. With a scissors, cut a few V-vents in the center.
• Slide the pie into the brown paper bag and fold the top down. Staple bag shut and place it on a sheet pan. Bake for 1 hour.
• Remove the pie from the oven and cut a large circle in top of the bag. Return to the oven and bake until the crust is golden brown, about 15 minutes more.
• Let the pie cool at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

APPLE PIE IN A BROWN PAPER BAG

Steps:

• To make the bottom crust, stir the flour and white sugar together in a bowl until well-combined. Rub the unsalted butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs; sprinkle with cold water, a couple of tablespoons at a time, mixing the dough together lightly with a fork until it barely holds together.
• Form the dough into a ball and roll it out to a circle about 1/8-inch thick. Gently ease the dough into an 8-inch pie dish. Cut off any excess pastry with a knife. Finish the edge of the crust by gently pressing the tines of a fork into the dough all the way around the edge of the pie dish. Set the crust aside.
• To make the pie filling, stir the apples, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of flour, the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and lemon juice together in a large bowl; set aside.
• To make the topping, mix 1/2 cup of flour, 1/2 cup of softened butter, and the superfine sugar together in a bowl until you have a sticky, moist dough.
• To assemble the pie, cover the bottom of the pie crust with a light, even layer of graham cracker crumbs. Fill the pie with the apple mixture, piling it up in a mound shape. Pinch off pieces of the topping mixture, flatten them a little with your fingers, and dot them at random all over the top of the filling, covering as much of the filling as possible.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Tear off 2 30-inch-long pieces of parchment paper and place them in a cross shape on a work surface. Place the filled pie in the center of the two pieces of parchment, bring the paper ends up over the pie and fold and staple the parchment paper over the pie to completely enclose and seal in the pie. The paper should not touch the top or sides of the pie. Place the parchment-wrapped pie on a baking sheet to catch any drips.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Don't peek inside the parchment paper while baking. Remove from the oven, carefully tear the parchment paper away from the pie, and let cool; serve warm. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

NO CRUST APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Combine 6 or 7 large cooking apples with the sugar, water, cinnamon, ground allspice in a large saucepan; bring to a boil.
• (I also add fresh grated nutmeg and a squeeze of lemon juice.)
• Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8 to 10 minutes or until apples are almost tender.
• Spoon mixture into a deep-dish 9-inch pie-plate.
• Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt; cut in butter with a pastry blender or use finger tips until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• (Next time I will use only 1/8 tsp of salt in the crumble.).
• Crumble brown sugar mixture over apples.
• Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until top is browned.
• Serve with ice cream, if desired.
• Yield: one 9-inch pie.

NO GRIEF PAPER BAG APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Filling: Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and turn them into the unbaked pie shell.
• Prepare Topping: Combine flour and sugar and cut in butter until you have pea sized crumbs.
• Sprinkle topping evenly over the apples and pat down around the edges.
• Carefully slide the pie into the brown bag and fold the end under the pie plate.
• Place on a cookie sheet.
• Bake for 50 minutes.
• Remove from oven and then remove pie from when cool enough to handle.
• No burnt crust, no under baked apples and no juices spilling over into your oven!

NO PIE APPLE PIE

Steps:

• For the apple pie spice: Mix together the cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cardamom if using in a small bowl.
• For the apples: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place the apple halves core-side down on a flat surface. Before slicing, place chopsticks or wooden spoons on either side of them to make sure you don't cut all the way through. Slice almost all the way to the bottom of each apple half at 1/4-inch intervals, then place them on a sheet pan.
• Mix 1 tablespoon of the butter, 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of the apple pie spice and the orange juice in a pitcher. Drizzle over the apples, making sure they are well coated and the drizzle goes into the slits. Bake until they are just starting to get tender, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix together the oats, almonds, salt, remaining melted butter, remaining brown sugar, orange zest and remaining apple pie spice. Sprinkle the oat mixture over the apples, making sure to get some between the slices without breaking the apples. Bake until the topping is slightly crisp and golden, another 10 minutes. Drizzle with honey and serve with ice cream.