Dearest Daughters,
Given my love of cooking, baking, pureeing, ice creaming and schnitzling, you might be surprised to learn that I've never baked a pie.
That is, until Sunday.
Dun. Dun. Dun.
In our family, Lolopop is the baker. The legends of his masterful pastry skills abound. Not just pies. Oh, no, Sireee! We're talking tarts. And puff pastry. And chocolate leaves. And filigree. Whatever that is.
So. One: I never needed to bake a pie. Lolopop makes the delish pumpkin pies (which he doesn't even like!) and apples pies that fill our tummies and hearts during the holidays. And two: due to the aforementioned deliciousness, it kind of felt like a lot was riding on my first pie.
But, when life gives you seventeen pounds of apples. And your older sister requests a caramel apple pie (for the second year in a row). And you've sort of been observing your dad's pie-making from the sidelines for twenty-something years. Well, you just can't balk at circumstances like that. You have to put aside your trepidation. And you have to accept your fate, no matter the outcome. All apple-y and caramel-y, though it may be.
So.
GUYS!? I totally baked a pie! Actually, I baked two, because the dough recipe I used produced enough pastry for two pies. And the first pie went home with my sister.(And recall: we picked seventeen pounds of apples.)
So, logically, a second pie needed to stay home with me. And it was a vast improvement over the first, but don't tell Auntie Mommy. Because I'm a quick study, like that. A smart cookie. A clever cream puff. A crafty cannoli.
Did I go to far?
The recipe for Deep Dish Caramel Apple Pie can be found here, though I used a different pastry recipe - one that combined butter and shortening.
Dearest Daughters, I'm sorry I wasted so many years, living in fear of pastry dough and yellow apples. I only hope you'll learn your lesson from me.
And take advantage of each and every opportunity to combine flour, butter, shortening, salt, water, apples and large amounts of sugar.
Love,
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