A Warm Slice

Tonight, I finally got around to making a real meal in my new home. For those of you playing the home game, I'm a new Assistant Professor of Music (Voice) at Ohio University in Athens, OH. Fancy Schmancy, right? Hello.

So I've been here since mid-July and I've yet to really throw down in the kitchen. But tonight I put my foot in it, girl. I made chicken and rice, roasted potatoes, asparagus, and apple pie a la mode. And yes, child - it was good.

So I decided to share the recipe for my cast iron skillet apple pie with y'all. I do think it's worth the purchase of a cast iron skillet if you don't currently own one. And shame on you if you don't! Every cook worth his or her salt should own this staple of kitchen cookware. But I digress, so...

Gaily forward to the pie:

Ingredients
6-8 apples (I use a mix of gala and Granny Smith apples), peeled and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 15-16 oz package of refrigerated pie crust
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon white sugar

What to do
1. Peel the apples.

2. Slice the apples into thin pieces (slightly larger than your thumbnail).

3. Place the sliced apples in a bowl, and add 3/4 cups sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.

4. Toss the apples, sugar, and cinnamon. Set aside for a few minutes. Preheat your oven to 350º. Take your smoke break (you nasty), watch an episode of your favorite TV show, or whatever you need. I like to let my apples sit for around 20-30 minutes; the sugar draws out the juice from the apples, which will collect in the bottom of the bowl. 

5. Melt 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter [the real deal hooker, not that fake crap] over medium-high heat in a cast iron skillet on the stovetop. 

6. Mix 1 cup of packed brown sugar with melted butter. 

7. Turn the stovetop heat down to low. Unroll one of the refrigerated pie crusts (there are 2 in the box) and place over brown sugar/butter mixture and thumb the edges along the sides of the skillet. Be careful - don't scorch those pretty fingers.

8. Place apples in the "pie shell,"omitting the juice.

9. Cover with remaining pie crust, tucking around the edges. Cut 5-6 long slits in the crust.

10. Egg wash the top of the crust with a lightly beaten egg white, and dust with 1 tablespoon of white sugar.

11. Bake in the center of oven on a middle rack at 350º for 1 hour.

12. Remove the pie from the oven, and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve hot, most likely with some yummy kind of ice cream.

Enjoy! And remember... JUST LET YOUR SOUL GLOW!!!