Apple Pie of My Eye

We are so fortunate to live near an apple grower.  In fact, one of the things I love most about living in the country is the proximity to U-Pick farms with fresh fruits.  Is there anything better than a fruit dessert from fresh-picked fruit?

I have several desserts that I make once per year when certain things are in season.  In the late Spring when cherries and apricots are in season together, I make these little Cherry-Apricot Upside Down Cakes.  They are luscious, let me tell you.  Just recently I made a blackberry cobbler that is bound to become an annual favorite.  And then, shortly thereafter, I made my annual cherry pie.  Now the apples are in season, and they are just getting ready to pick them at Oregon Heritage Farm. 

Aren't these lovely?

I love it when they get ready to open their farm store.  Year after year, they put up signs on their fence posts, Burma Shave style.  Each year there's a clever little rhyme as you pass by the signs reading them as you go.  Someone is obviously very clever.  We visited the farm store yesterday.  I was inspired by Judy L's canned apple pie filling.  I've never seen anyone do it that way before, and I loved the idea of individual applie pies.  Yum. 

So after seeing that, I decided I was going to do the same thing.  And, what the heck, might as well make my annual apple pie while I'm at it.  I got stopped dead in my tracks though for the canned applie pie filling.  Every recipe I've found, including Judy's calls for a product called ClearJel.  Well, of course, I can't find it anywhere.  So I researched the possibility of substituting something else; but from what I could tell, it's probably not a good idea.  After all, the jars will be processed in a boiling water bath.  The ClearJel has an acid in it, and acid is necessary to make the boiling water bath method safe.  I don't know if it would be acidic enough without the ClearJel.  So, to be on the safe side, I'm sticking with the recipe.  Which meant that I had to order the ClearJel online.  Now that that's on its way, I set out to make my annual apple pie.

Unfortunately, they didn't have any Granny Smiths.  Instead, I got McIntosh and Braeburns.  I was going to get the McIntosh anyway.  I like them because they're a little softer than Granny Smiths.  I'm hoping the Braeburns will be a little more firm for a nice texture.  And I'm also hoping I can get that little tart bite from them as well.  I've never made a pie without Granny Smiths, so I'm hoping this combo will yield a nice pie.  As I've said before, I'm pretty hit or miss when it comes to pie crusts.  As with so many things, I'm realizing, perfection isn't necessary.  Pie crusts are so very forgiving.  Even when mine are as patchwork as my quilts, they still come out of the oven looking beautiful.  This one actually went together pretty well.  I used the same crust I used when I made my cherry pie.  It was soooooo flaky and delicious.  And here it is:

All we need is some vanilla ice cream, and can rapture be far away?  I can't wait to dig in. 

Poor Mike (my husband) is out finishing up the walkway for the greenhouse.  It's not terribly warm today, but he's working in the sun, and so he's pretty hot.  Lifting bricks and shoveling gravel is hard, physical work.  He's been such a nice guy about it, and so I'm glad I can do something special for him.  The good thing about baking is that it makes the house smell so good.

So, I think I'll go join him while he finishes up.  He would probably appreciate the moral support.