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Transcript:
Lisa: Hi! I'm Lisa Birnbach for HowDini.com, and this is Lauren Chattman from Pillsbury. Hi!
Lauren: Hey!
Lisa: Lauren, I don't know where the expression, "American as apple pie" came from, but I would definitely pledge allegiance to this perfect apple pie. Show us how to make it.
Lauren: Well, you start off with one package of refrigerated piecrusts. I'm going to take them both out of the package right now, and we're going to roll the first one right into this pie plate.
Lisa: You're using glass because it conducts heat best?
Lauren: Yes, that's right; it gets that nice brown crust; plus, when you're baking in glass, you can take a peek at that bottom crust to see how it's browning; you can't do that with other kinds of pie plates. All right, so we're just going to tuck that into the pan to get it ready for the filling, which I have right here. We have six cups of thinly sliced peeled apples.
Lisa: What kind of apples do you use?
Lauren: Any firm apple is going to be good. You don't want one that's going to cook up and get really mushy. These are Granny Smiths, which I like for their nice tart flavor, but there are other firm varieties. That was three-quarters of a cup of sugar, two tablespoons of flour, a tablespoon of lemon juice, and we've got some spices here: three-quarters of a teaspoon of cinnamon, it's an eighth of a teaspoon of nutmeg, and only a quarter of a teaspoon of salt. Stir that together, so that the apples are coated with the sugar.
Lisa: Why do you put salt in an apple pie?
Lauren: You know what? Just a little bit of salt just brings out the flavors of everything, so it will make the apples taste more apple-e, etcetera. All right, now we're ready to put it in that crust.
Lisa: Okay.
Lauren: Bring that over here. We're just going to dump those apples in. You slice the apples nice and thin because that makes them cook pretty quickly, so that they're soft…
Lisa: But not mushy.
Lauren: That's right. All right, we're ready for our second crust.
Lisa: Okay.
Lauren: We're going to roll it right on top of the apples…and then you see there's a little bit overhanging.
Lisa: Mm hmm.
Lauren: We're going to just tuck that in so it's right…it rests right along the edge of the plate. Go all the way around like that, and once we're finished tucking, we are going to make our scalloped edge. All right, so we're going to crimp it now by using two fingers with one hand and one finger on the other, rotating the plate as we go along. Okay, all crimped.
Lisa: Great!
Lauren: Now, we're going to cut some slits.
Lisa: The slits prevent the mushiness?
Lauren: That's right, because this allows some of the steam to escape. And, there's just one more thing before you put this pie into the oven. I have a pie shield here that I'm going to put over that beautiful crimped crust to protect it from burning while the rest of the pie bakes.
Lisa: And, how long is the pie in the oven?
Lauren: This pie will take forty to forty-five minutes in a four hundred and twenty-five degree oven. About fifteen minutes before you're ready to take the pie out though, take the pie shield off to let the edge brown up.
Lisa: Can you eat it right away, Lauren?
Lauren: Let it sit on the counter for two hours so that the juices are reabsorbed into those apples and you can get these nice, beautiful neat slices.
Lisa: And, when do you want to get the real estate buyers in to your house to smell the homey goodness of the apple pie.
Lauren: Well, when that period between baking and cooling is a great time to try and sell your house.
Lisa: That's what they say. Thank you, Lauren.
Lauren: You're welcome.
Lisa: I'm Lisa Birnbach for Howdini.com. | 
