Ahhhh Apple Pies!

My wonderful neighbors, Charlotte and John, gave me a bucket of apples off their tree.   Steveio’s favorite dessert is apple pie, and I decided he needed a treat.  He has been soooo good to me lately, taking care of me, and all the things around the house.

So out came the apple corer device .. this is the GREATEST tool!  It peels, cores and slices the apple so perfectly!    This one is made by Back To Basics, and can be found at Ace Hardware stores.   There are some that clamp onto counters, but I like the big suction cup one better, my counter has a rolled curve to the edge that the clamp-type don’t work on.
So with this one, you just dampen the counter, then set down the base and move the lever from right to left.  The huge rubber bottom now flexes  to create a suction that holds the tool firmly in place.
 
It wastes very little of the apple.  the peeling is thin, the core is gone, and the slices are all uniformly cut so they all bake at the same rate.  Works great for potatoes too! Especially for potato salads, never a mixture of mushy and firm chunks, they all are evenly done when boiled as uniformly cut chunks.
  This is the finished apple as it comes off the machine, like one long spiral.


I cut the spirals into quarters- and toss them in a bowl with flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and a dollop of real vanilla,  Then I pile them into a pie crust that has been prebaked for about 5 minutes.  
(no mushy pie bottom and slices come outta the pan better)

Usually I make my own pie crusts from scratch, but tonight I was a bit rushed, a bit lazy, and a bit tired,... so frozen pie crusts made due.
 
On top I make a crumb mixture of butter, flour, brown sugar and spices… and just spoon it on top.  Bake about 40 minutes or until done at 425 degrees.



Ahhh fresh outta the oven last night, before Steveio came home from his union meeting. 


it was so strange though…. this morning I woke up to discover that----

WE’VE BEEN ROBBBED!!!

Somehow, a whole PIE is MISSING!

Could it have something to do with the rustling tin foil I heard at 5a.m. as Steveio was preparing to go to work?  
I think he took along a whole pie to share with the guys…awwwww