Cooking with Catherine: Traditional Apple Pie

As Thanksgiving is upon us in the United States, and with the holiday season coming up shortly all around the world, many of us will be visiting friends and family for a variety of fun celebrations and meals in the weeks ahead. It is always a pleasant treat to bring a homemade pie for the host or hostess at such celebrations.

It is well known that Catherine the Duchess of Cambridge is a fan of baking. She makes baking an activity for the whole family (as many mothers do). Baking can certainly be a lot of fun — but also can become a little messy, especially when young children are involved. For instance, when Kate was visiting Youthscape, a charity in Luton, she was invited to watch a baking demonstration. As she watched the baking occur, Kate stated, “When I try to do this with George at home, chocolate and the golden syrup go everywhere. He makes so much mess. It’s chaos!”

The following recipe is a delicious pie that is easy to make and, importantly, mess-free! Enjoy!

Traditional Apple Pie

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
8 Granny Smith apples – peeled, cored and sliced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the apples. Pour slowly so that it does not run off. Cover with a top layer of crust.
Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

Cooking Tips: If you want to add decorations to the pie (like a cut out crown or seasonal touches such as leaves or flowers), then we suggest you get 2 boxes of double pie crust or double your crust recipe. You can also buy gluten free flour for a healthier dessert. Try adding a mix of sweet and tart apples as well to make it more special.