Recipe: I Say Happy Birthday With Apple Pie
By Cloverleaf
A Birthday Tradition
Every year, on my husband's birthday, I bake him a superb homemade apple pie!
Derek realized from a very early age that he was not fond of birthday cake but had a particular liking for freshly baked apple pie. His mother lovingly obliged for many years and now I have signed up for the responsibility to take on the role of Chief Birthday Apple Pie Baker.
Store-bought apple pie or frozen apple pie just will not do! The bar has been set very high. My job is to use the very best apples for apple pie, make a dough that produces the perfect pie crust, and then assemble and a bake an awesome birthday apple pie with a star on top.
And so today is no exception! Another birthday has come around and I'm off to the store to buy my ingredients. I want to prepare Derek's apple pie early on in the day, so that I have plenty of time to do a great job. After it is done baking, it will sit and cool for several hours. According to Derek, the best way to eat fresh apple pie is a few hours after it comes out of the oven, when it has cooled down and reached room temperature.
In this hub, I will run through my recipe step-by-step so that you too can make awesome apple pie for a special birthday - or indeed any occasion!
Best Apples for Apple Pie
The absolute best apples for apple pie are Granny Smith apples because they are quite tart, juicy and crisp. Granny Smith apples are also an excellent choice for stewing or for making apple sauce. They hold their shape very well and are not very sweet, and so we can control the sweetness of our apple pie by adding just the right amount of sugar.
When choosing your Granny Smith apples for this apple pie recipe, look for large apples that have a shiny green peel, and no brown spots on them. When slicing Granny Smith apples, the fruit tends to go brown quite quickly. Because the level of citric acid in lemon is higher than that present in an apple, you can slow down the browning affect by soaking the apple slices water and lemon juice as you prepare them.
Perfect Pie Crust
Start by preparing the perfect pie crust. You will need:
- 2 Cups Flour
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 1 Tbsp White Sugar
- 6 Tbsp Butter
- 6 Tbsp Shortening
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt and sugar.
With a dough mixer, cut in the butter and shortening until it resembles very fine breadcrumbs (it helps to ensure that the butter and shortening is at room temperature first).
To the mixture, add in about 7 tablespoons of very icy cold water and mix lightly until a ball of dough is formed.
Sprinkle the ball of dough lightly with flour and then wrap it in cling wrap.
Chill the dough in the fridge while you go on to prepare your filling.
 | Amazon Price: $19.00 List Price: $24.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $7.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $26.99 List Price: $66.00 |
Apple Pie Filling
While the dough is chilling in the fridge, it's time to prepare and slice your apples. You will need:-
- 5 Granny Smith Apples
- 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
I find that the easiest way to prepare my apples is to first peel them with either a paring knife or a potato peeler, and then I use an apple corer to divide the peeled apple into manageable pieces. From there, you can slice each piece to approximately 1/4" thick.
Soak the apple slices in water and lemon juice as you go, so that the apple slices do not turn brown.
In a separate bowl, combine a sugary coating for the apple slices. Mix together:-
- 2 Tbsp Flour
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Tbsp White Vinegar
- 1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
At this point, drain the apple slices and dry them thoroughly with a clean tea-towel.
You don't want your apple slices to be wet because this can produce a sloppy pie-filling. By drying the apples thoroughly you will be sure to produce a pie filling that is juicy and yet keeps its shape when sliced through.
Mix the sugary coating and the dried apples together in a large mixing bowl.
 | Amazon Price: $12.95 List Price: $16.00 |
 | Amazon Price: $9.99 |
Assembling the Pie
Remove the dough from the fridge and divide it into 2 equal pieces.
Using a rolling pin, roll out one half of the dough to fit the bottom of your pie plate (a 9 inch pie plate seems to work best for this recipe) and then trim the edges if necessary.
Layer your sugary apple slices quite snugly into the pie plate and then dot a few pieces of butter over the top of the apples for an extra buttery taste.
Roll out the second half of the dough and lay it over the top of your pie filling. Moisten the edges with a little water to seal the edges and then use the back of a knife to make a pretty pattern. If you have any dough left over, cut it into a pattern such as a star to decorate the top.
Sit the pie on a foil-lined cookie sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 55-60 minutes until golden brown...ENJOY!
Comments
Hi Dawn,
Vanilla ice cream goes great with apple pie, doesn't it? I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for the great comment :-)
Cloverleaf.
Great looking pie. I say you should celebrate your birthday with your favorite food.
The best apple pie I ever had was made from our apple trees behind our house. Your apple pie looks delicious thanks for sharing!!!
I love apple pie and ice cream - great hub voted up and stuff
I will have to talk to you about subliminal messaging some day - LOL, There is a place near here - Julian, famous for its apple pies. But, I think yours tops theirs. Hey, do you think it wise to give all your secrets away. I would travel far and wide to savor a taste of that pie. Say what $10 a slice and a cup of 'jo' for $4.50, I can see it now. Cloverleafs Cafe somewhere in the Cayman Isles
Hi KoffeeKlatch Gals,
Thanks for saying my pie looks great! Every year I try and make it just a little bit better. My hubby said that this year's is the best one yet so I guess I must be doing something right LOL :-)
Cloverleaf.
Thank you, I totally enjoy apple pie with ice cream
Hi craftdrawer
I can just imagine how yummy your best apple pie was - with apples picked fresh from the tree! Fabulous. Thanks for your comment.
Cloverleaf.
Hi Ann,
You're making me hungry again thinking about some apple pie with ice cream. Derek still has about 1/3 of the pie left. Do you think he will notice if I grab a piece? LOL
Cloverleaf.
You are a really nice wife. I've never baked a pie from scratch. If I ever decide to bake an apple pie from scratch, I will use your recipe. You even made the crust! The pie looks delicious by the way. Voted up and interesting!
Hi tsmog,
Hey I don't know if I would be able to top Julian's but you gave me a great vision of Cloverleaf's Cafe in Grand Cayman. Wow, I could handle that job LOL. You know me too well.
Cloverleaf.
Hi writer20,
I'm going to indulge in a slice right now. Would you care to join me?
Cloverleaf.
Hi Jeannie,
Ah you're so sweet! I wouldn't dare cheat and buy a frozen crust. Derek would look at me and then look at the crust then back at me again...and I know I would be in trouble LOL. But seriously, I really enjoy making it for him. Just to see the smile on his face :-)
Cloverleaf.
That pie looks absolutely yummy. I really like the star on top! voted up!
I'm sure Derek thinks you're a sweetie for breaking away from the traditional birthday cake and making him what he really enjoys.
I love the way you present a step by step with images.
I enjoy a slice of apple pie.
My husband is different also. I have taken over making a no-bake cheese cake for him every year. So next June, guess what I'll be publishing!
Hi Cloverleaf! What a nice pie and the recipe is stupendous! A birthday pie - what a novel idea! Voted up, up and away!
Happy Birthday!! lol yummy that! wish i had some now, love the pictures making dribbling lol vote up for ya
Ploy.
I have always made apple cobbler but never apple pie, we always buy that but this looks very good and doable! I assume that is self-rising flour? Room temperate sounds good, if I can wait that long, and yes apple pie to me means vanilla ice cream and one of the rare times I have coffee, black. Great winter enthusiasm here! Thanks. Voted up.
Polly
Cloverleaf,
Looks like you've got it down to a science as well as a loving art for that hubby of yours :-) Happy B day to him and thanks for sharing such a great recipe and tradiion of pie instead of cake for birthdays. Very cool ideal indeed!
Voted Up and Awesome!
What a great wife you are-and a great Hub friend to share this recipe with us all. I have not made an apple pie in a long time. I shall collect apples from a friend's trees and make one this week.
This looks really good. Can you tell me, what is the purpose of the small amount of vinegar in the sugar coating? I have never done that before.
Hi Cloverleaf, I can certainly give the thumbs up to Cloverleaf's apple pie, it really is the best!!
I shall have to make one this week now, I wish you were here to make it for me:-)
Happy Birthday to Derek! x
I'm giving you an up on this hub. The apple pie looks so good. We love homemade apple pie in this house. Never used vingar in my pies but will try that. Great hub.
Great Tips for Granny Smith Apples, which is one of my Husbands Favorite apples...So I'm sure he'd love me to bake your Apple Pie...and I'm kinda thinking about it. Thanks for sharing. I'll vote it UP!
Your pie looks delicious! I'm not a big fan of birthday cake either and frequently enjoy other desserts on my birthday.
I'm also not a fan of birthday cakes...too traditional and boring. I prefer pies! Pssst...my birthday is in June so you have time to plan ahead if you'd like to ship me an apple pie:)
This pie looks both beautiful and tasty! Great idea to have pie on birthdays instead and I will try this recipe. The tool you use to mix the pie looks very useful! Thanks for sharing this recipe,
Tina
Yummy! I love apple pie and you're right, Granny Smith apples work the best. Your pie looks delicious; guess I'll have to go out and buy some. Thanks for the great info.
Happy Birthday to Derek. It almost doen't seem fair that Derek has to eat that pie all by himself. what was that address? :)
Homesteadbound, I can't wait to read your no-bake cheesecake recipe - my mouth is watering already!
Rosemay, yes Derek always appreciates the effort I put into his pie, it's worth it just to see the smile on his face! Glad you enjoyed the recipe :-)
Hi Dexter, well we must do things differently in our household! But then, I am more than happy to oblige! (It's a good thing because I'm not very good at making cake!)
Hi Ploy, next time I make one you're welcome to come on over for a slice...not far is it? :-)
Hi Polly, great question! - this recipe actually calls for all purpose flour. It's really easy but does take a bit of time and effort. It's worth it though! Thanks for your comment!
Staypos, Glad you enjoyed this one and I will be sure to pass on your very kind well wishes to Derek - thanks so much :-)
Hi Hyph, you are so sweet to say so. I always enjoy making Derek his pie, and the star on top is actually quite symbolic of our accomplishments for the year as a couple. Have a great day.
Hi ktrapp, that's a great question! I believe the vinegar adds a little bit more tartness to the flavour of the pie, but to be honest I've never really questioned it, I just know that it works :-) Hope that helps!
Hi MM, I wish I was there to make you one, too! I will make one for you next time I come to visit...hugs :-)
Hi Moonlake, thanks for the vote up, I appreciate that - happy to hear that you enjoy homemade apple pies too...aren't they the best?
Hi b.Malin, well I think that Lover Man would sure love a slice of homemade apple pie! Thanks for voting up :-)
randomcreative, what other desserts do you enjoy on your birthday? I'm not sure that I could persuade Derek to switch to anything else but I am open to suggestions for my own birthday :-)
Sunshine, no probs I have plenty of time to prepare your pie! Your biggest decision will be - what kind of decoration would you like on the top?
Hi Tina, I wouldn't be without my dough cutter, I use it for all kinds of recipes..it's really good for making homemade biscuits. Have a great day!
Susie, I wouldn't use any other apples. I tried once before and the pie didn't turn out so good. At least with Granny Smith's I know it's foolproof!!!
Hi mckbirdbks, thanks for your birthday wishes to Derek. In all fairness, he had a little help eating the pie ;-) Have a wonderful day,
Thanks to you all for your feedback and comments,
Cloverleaf.
What about candles for the birthday pie. Are they included in the terrific best apple pie recipe? :)
Hi felicitylovespari, we replace the candles with a big old star. I might have trouble putting more than 40 candles on the pie LOL!
Yay! I wanted to make a tried and true apple pie for Thanksgiving--this will fit the bill. I'm seeing a leaf in place of your birthday star... :) Thanks much!
That's a great idea, RTalloni! Let me know how your pie turns out. I'd love to see a finished photo with the leaf on top :)
Cloverleaf.
This pie looks so good! Thanks for sharing this recipe. I have not made a pie for a few years now but after seeing you recipe I will try this soon. My dad always enjoyed his apple pie with a big slice of old cheddar cheese on the top.
Love these apple pies and my birthday is October 25th. Will be hinting to my wife how much I like apple pies.
Nice recipes. Apple pie, I like it. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Susan, I've never tried apple pie with cheddar before but it's supposed to be a really good pairing so I'll have to try that next time. Thanks for your comment!
Cloverleaf.
Hi Cousin Fudd, wishing you a very happy birthday for Tuesday! I hope you too get to enjoy an apple pie to celebrate.
Best wishes, Cloverleaf.
That's great, unmakeit! Enjoy!
Cloverleaf.
Just my opinion, I believe that the fat content should always be as cold as possible when it come to creating a flaky and tender pie crust.Cause remember those little pieces of fat will create little air pockets that will allow for multiple levels of texture.
Hi CookieBear, that's a great tip! The colder the fat content, the flakier the crust. I believe that goes for using really cold water, too. Thank you!
cre8ivOne 8 months ago
Yum!
I grew up around apple orchards and my mother makes a pretty spectacular apple pie too! I would gladly have apple pie on my birthday with a little bit of vanilla ice cream. : )
Your post was nice and descriptive. Thanks!