Freezer apple pie kits are a great way to be prepared for anything. Well, not exactly anything, but certainly unexpected drop-in guests.
There are two components to apple pies: the crust and the filling. If you keep a box or two of Pillsbury crusts (store brand is fine too) in the freezer, you have covered. The filling can also be ready to go in a ziplock bag in the freezer.
Freezer Apple Pie Kit
Prep Day: Put the items below in a freezer bag –
approx. 6 c. apples, peeled and sliced
3/4 c. sugar
2 T. all-purpose flour
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. ground allspice
Squish this around so that the apples get coated and the spices get mixed around. Then put this in the freezer.
Note: if you like your pies to be more “heaping,” then by all means, use more apples. I always put a cookie sheet underneath the baking pie just in case filling runs over. That way I don’t need to clean the entire oven if the pie bubbles over.
All-Butter Pie Crust Dough
Yield: 2 (9-inch) deep dish pie crusts
The butter should be very cold, and to ensure this, I keep mine in the freezer. After cutting it into cubes, I often put it back into the freezer so it will stay as cold as possible until I’m ready to work with it.
2 1/2 cups (312 grams) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, chilled, cubed
8 tablespoons ice water*
Prep Day: In a food processor, mix the flour, sugar, and salt until blended. Add cubed butter and pulse just until a coarse meal is formed. Sprinkle water into the food processor by the tablespoonful and pulse until the dough begins to form moist clumps. Pour the dough out onto a work surface and form into 2 balls. Flatten ball gently into a thick disk and wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Chill for at least an hour before rolling.
Make Ahead: Dough can be kept in refrigerator up to one week. You can keep it in the freezer for up to 1 month; double wrap in plastic prior to freezing.
*Note: You may need a little more or a little less water than 8 tablespoons. I keep a bowl of ice water on the counter right next to my food processor and measure the water out by the tablespoon as I go.
Serve Day: When you need an apple pie, take out the crust and the pie filling kit. Let both thaw. You can hurry this along by putting the ziplock of pie filling in a bowl of warm water, but check to make sure there are no holes in the bag. You can also hurry the crust along by microwaving it on the defrost setting.
Once crust is thawed roll it out. You might need some excess flour. Spread the crust into a pie plate and dump the uncooked pie filling in. Put the top crust on and pinch the edges so that it all looks homemade. Make a couple of vent slices in the top crust to let steam escape. Bake at 425° for about 20 minutes and then turn the oven down to 350° and bake another 20 or 25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
Serve with ice cream or with slices of really sharp cheddar cheese.
Northerly Nosh 