Dutch Apple Pie

I've made this recipe several times in the past few months; it appears to be everyone's favorite now. One thing that is extremely important when making this is to mix the varieties of apples used - I always use six apples, usually two Golden Delicious, two Granny Smith and two Pink Lady.

Dutch Apple Pie

Crust:

1 refrigerated ready-to-bake pie crust (from a 15-oz box)

Crumb Topping:

½ c. plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

½ c. packed light-brown sugar

⅓ c. granulated sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 stick cold butter

Filling:

6 medium to large tart apples (about 3 1/4 lb)

1 tbsp. lemon juice

½ c. granulated sugar

3 tbsp. all-purpose flour

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

.13 tsp. ground nutmeg

Have ready a 9-in. pie plate and a baking sheet. Place oven rack in lowest position in oven. Heat oven to 450°F. Line pie plate with pie crust as package directs. Flute or crimp edge. For crumb topping, mix flour, sugars and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender (or rub in with fingertips) until mixture forms moist, coarse crumbs that clump together easily. Peel, quarter and core apples. Cut in 1⁄8-in.-thick slices by hand (or with slicing disk of a food processor). Put into a large bowl. Toss with lemon juice to coat. Mix remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle over apple slices; toss to coat. Layer apple slices in pie shell, mounding them higher in center. Pat topping evenly over apples to form a top crust. Place pie on the baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake 45 minutes longer or until a skewer meets some resistance when center of pie is pierced (apples will continue to cook after pie is removed from oven) and topping is golden brown. If topping is browning too quickly, drape a piece of foil over pie. Cool pie completely on a wire rack before serving.

In place of cinnamon in the topping and cinnamon and nutmeg in the filling, I use Penzey's Apple Pie Spice. It simply cannot be beat.

French Silk Pie

I have never been a sweet tooth, though I enjoy baking sweets for others. I would sooner eat a whole baguette (with plenty of butter, of course) than down a pan of brownies.

Certain sweets, however, are beginning to become regular treats for me. This recipe is one I've made often; my family loves it:

French Silk Pie

CRUST

pastry for one pie crust or one refrigerated pie crust

FILLING

3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, cut into pieces

1 cup butter, softened (do not use margarine)

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

4 pasteurized eggs or 1 cup refrigerated or frozen fat-free egg product, thawed

TOPPING

1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped, sweetened

Chocolate curls, if desired

Heat oven to 450F. Prepare pie crust as directed on package for one-crust baked shell using 9" pie pan. Bake at 450F. for 9-11 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 30 minutes or until completely cooled.

Melt chocolate in small saucepan over low heat; cool. In small bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add cooled chocolate and vanilla; blend well.

Add eggs 1 at a time, beating at high speed for 2 minutes after each addition. Beat until mixture is smooth and fluffy. Pour into cooled baked shell.

Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Top with whipped cream and chocolate curls. Store in refrigerator.

I have added an extra square of unsweetened chocolate; it really intensifies the flavor. I can't stress enough how smooth as silk this will be if you truly follow the directions - be sure to beat for 8-10 minutes when adding the eggs. For a little something special, you could flavor the sweetened whipped cream with a little peppermint.