MMmmmm Pies!

It Is that time of Year Again!! Yep, my favorite fruit guy, Justin, is back and that means baking for fruit and veggies and canning galore! Oh I am soo excited! I LOVE homemade canned goods sooo much more than tin canned stuff. Peaches, Tomatoes, Beans, Jams!!! YUM! But before that can all start we have to bake pies. Yep I am lucky. Because I am one of his best customers (because I have soo many kids) and I am willing to take a little less than perfect produce he gives me cheap rates or even gives me cases of food in exchange for some baked goods and cans for his family. Last year we did a ton of yummy goodies that kept me on my toes as it was the first year I had EVER done that much canning and baking in the summer months. It was WORTH IT! So we start with Apple Pies this year. I like my Apple Pies with a Crumble Topping. I admit I use a simple pie crust recipe that the kids can even help me with (makes tons of baking easier when it's kid friendly because then you aren't spending a ton of your energy trying to fend them off) Phoenix and Cloe were my pie crust makers yesterday. Yes there was a little of a mess but they had fun.

Here's the simple recipe I use for my pie crusts:

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup shortening

4-8tbsp of ice cold water

Directions:

Blend flour and salt together then cut in the shorting until it resembles oatmeal. Then starting with 4 tbsp at first using your hand mix in the cold water. If the dough is still to dry add 1 more tbsp. Continue until you have the right play dough like dough. It can be used right away or stored in the fridge until your ready for it.

Next we had Jordan and Josh make the crumble topping.

Now I make mine a little bit drier than others because when I eat my apple pie I love a splash of fresh cream on top.. not whipped cream but cream which gives it such a yummy soft texture. But no matter how you like it all makes for a delicious treat. Here is my simple recipe that the kids and I use:

Ingredients:

1 cup oats

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar (we use brown )

1/2 cup butter (1 full cup if you like it more moist)

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

Directions:

blend all the dry ingredients and then cut in the butter until it is all blended and you can make it stick together loosely.

After that we rolled out the dough and put into the pie pans. I let the kids all do their own individual pie and that helped make it so they left the big ones, which had places to go, alone. The kids loved rolling out the dough and trying to place it in their own little tins. Most kids made apple pies since that was the free fruit his week but Jordan had to be different and made a Rhubarb pie from the fresh Rhubarb ones of my Visiting Teachees gave me before I left her house that morning. Jordan likes to do things a little different and I adore that about her.

No matter which one you made though.. it was tasty good!!

Of course no pie making day would be the same without a little experimenting. We have our wards Pioneer Days Celebration coming up next week that includes a chili and Pie tasting contest. We have never made it out to one before because I have always been working with flower deliveries. It is nice that this year I am free to join in. Well the boys want to invent their own kind of mud pie for the contest. Here is the trial run... ( won't give all their secrets away just yet but you can probably see the yumminess through the pictures I took of their brain storm process)

First they started with the graham cracker crumb crust and layered it with their secret mix and stuck a whole whack gummy worms into it, because we all know you can't have dirt and mud pies without worms.

Next we poured the fresh cooked chocolate pudding over top of everything and that made a fun looking layer

Of course that was topped with even more gummy worms while it was still fresh.

I am told the best part of making this pie was the clean up ;)

It was fun to come back a little latter and see how the worms were fairing in all the hot, gooey goodness...

What do you think? Look good?