How to make the perfect apple pie filling
By Rileigh Benson
Move over pumpkins, it’s apples’ time to shine. As fall slowly creeps up on us, menus everywhere are being released that mostly include pumpkin-flavored everything! But we mustn’t forget one of the most versatile and flavorful foods ever: apples. Apples create a wide variety of dishes that bring you into the spirit of fall, like a simple caramel-covered apple or a classic apple pie. After hand-picking apples from Leaman’s Green Applebarn in Freeland, it is time to make some homemade apple hand pies.
Since we are busy college students, I opt for premade pie crust sheets from the frozen aisle and make the pie filling from scratch. You will need:
6 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
9 apples
0.8 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
We begin by dicing our apples. Then place them into a pan and add water. Let the apples soak, and cover them until soft. The next step is to add the ingredients and stir. We cover it once again and continue to check on the apples, along with occasional taste tests!
To prepare the premade dough, we toss some flour onto our surface and cover our hands, then apply it to the dough front and back. Next, we can cut the dough into any shape we desire – I chose some spooky ghosts and bats.
Once we have our shaped dough pieces, we ensure we have an even amount to make sure there’s a front and back for our hand pies. Make sure that they’re big enough to be filled and closed properly.
We lay one half of the shaped dough flat on the counter, grab a small spoonful of the pie filling, and put it in the center of the dough. Finish then by placing the other half of the dough piece on top. To close the tiny hand pie, we grab a fork and use the prongs all around the edges.
Before we bake, we’ll need to add an egg wash. Crack a few eggs, stir them in a bowl until all the yolks are scrambled, then grab a brush and lightly brush the egg wash onto the pie.
After brushing our pies, we can now bake them! Follow the instructions on the premade pie crust you bought and patiently wait for deliciousness.
To top off the pies once they’re finished, you could sprinkle cinnamon or powdered sugar on top. You can adjust the apple pie filling ingredients to your own liking or make your own crust – enjoy!
