Apple Pie (from scratch)

I don't typically measure ingredients for this recipe, but this is my guesstimate (just for you!):

Ingredients for pie crust:

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 stick of butter

3 tbsp. ice-cold water

pinch of salt

Directions for crust:

1. Place butter in freezer for about ten minutes, then remove and dice into small cubes. 
2. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. 
3. Mix butter cubes into dry ingredients. (As you mix, break the butter up into shreds so that it better integrates with the dry ingredients. You don't want chunks of butter in this mixture.)
4. Add cold water gradually to the mix as you stir. If the mixture gets sticky, just add a bit more flour. 
5. Rub your hands in flour and work the dough a bit. 
6. Break the dough into two halves, then roll them into balls and coat them with flour. Place individual rolls in ziplock bags and put them in the refrigerator for 10-20 minutes. (You can leave them in the freezer for up to 2 days).
7. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Flour your hands and sprinkle a generous amount of flour over a clean, smooth surface. Also rub flour on the rolling pin.
8. Place one dough ball in the center of the flour and roll it flat with your rolling pin. 
9. Trim the edges smooth and carefully transfer to a 12" pie pan. Leave excess edges hanging off the pie pan for now. 
10.  Place pie filling in the crust. 
11.  Repeat 8 for the other dough ball. Trim edges smooth and transfer crust to the pie. 
12.  Fold the bottom crust's edges up and over the top crust and pinch the edges. Cut slits in the top crust to let steam escape. To keep the edges of the crust from burning before the pie is done baking, cut strips of tin foil and wrap around the edges.

Ingredients for apple pie filling:

5 apples

 1 c. sugar

3 tsp. cinnamon

2 tbsp. butter

Directions for Filling:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Peel and core the apples, then cut them in half. Cut very thin apple slices  (less than a quarter inch). You want very thin apple slices, or else you will have crispy apples in your pie.
3. In a large bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon. Add the apples and mix until the apples are coated with the cinnamon-sugar mixture (which should be gooey from the juicy apple slices).
4. Fill the pie crust with the apple filling mixture. Place thin slices of butter over the mixture. 
5. Follow steps 10-11 of the pie crust directions above.
6. Place pie in oven and bake for 30-45 minutes, or until crust is a light golden brown. 

Pumpkin Roll

This recipe was much simpler to make than I expected. The only trouble I had was re-rolling the cake without having the cake break apart.  I used a second person to help roll the cake,  so in the end everything turned out okay. Be sure to really mix the cream cheese filling until it's smooth for the best taste and texture. Enjoy!


Ingredients:

3/4 c. all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

3 large eggs

1 c. sugar

2/3 c. Libby's 100% pure pumpkin

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese

1 c. powdered sugar

6 tbsp. butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 15"x10" jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour wax paper. Sprinkle a towel with powdered sugar.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in small bowl.
3. Beat eggs and sugar in large bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan.
4. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Let the roll cool.
5. Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in small bowl until smooth. 
6. Carefully unroll cake; remove towel. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.