Apple pie making has been used for fund raising by the youth and adults of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church. Since 1986, youth and adults have gone to Mt. T.O.P (Tennessee Outreach Project) as volunteers in mission trip. The number of pies made is in the thousands. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Mary and I start baking at 3:00 a.m. and bake approximately 75 frozen apple pies, 95 fresh pumpkin pies and 30 pecans pies. That is the reason I bring dessert to most Thanksgivings.
CRUST:
2/3 C. (heaping) lard
2 C. flour
4 T. cold water
2 T. sugar
1 tsp. salt
FILLING:
1/4 C. sugar
1/4 C. flour
Apples, sliced, enough to fill crust heaping full
1 C. sugar
1/3 C. flour
Cinnamon
Butter
CRUST: Mix lard and flour with fork or pastry blender. Mix together water, sugar and salt. Add to flour mixture until combined. Makes a 2-crust pie when rolled out.
FILLING: Place the first 2 ingredients in bottom of rolled pastry crust and add apples. Sprinkle rest of sugar and flour over apples in crust. Sprinkle cinnamon on top and dot with butter. Put on top crust. Make a large “M” and “T” in top crust for venting. (In addition to the “M”, “T” venting, we also added a pie crust little apple and leaf to the top of the pie.) Pie can be frozen at this point or baked. If pie is frozen, remove from freezer and let sit at room temperature for about 1 hour. Brush top with milk or half and half, and sprinkle with white sugar. Bake at 350° to 375°, until apples are done but not mushy, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. If top or edges brown too quickly, cover with foil.