Fall has arrived, again! We finally had a drop in temperatures, about 20 degrees in a day, and it actually looks and feels like Fall.
Naturally I did what one does on a Fall weekend, put on a pot of soup, made some cookies, a slab apple pie, and a couple loafs of bread. Then I took a long leisurely bike ride and finally relaxed with a few magazines and a cup of tea.
One of my favorite Fall recipes in Slab Apple Pie. This recipe has been in my family for a long time, at least 45 years or more because it is older than I am. As with most of the recipes that I make there are fond memories attached, and this one is no exception.
It reminds me of my grandmother. We often made this when we visited her and my job was to “dress the apples” from the row of canisters she had on the counter, measuring the sugar and the cinnamon, throwing the flour on the counter so that grandma could roll the dough. My favorite part was eating the dough which I still do today, even though they say not too.
My grandmother had 10 children (20 plus years between first and last) and when you have that many kids you have to make a lot of food. This recipe is really great for feeding a crowd as you make it in a jelly roll pan and it makes a lot of pie.
Slap Apple Pie with Struesel Topping
Recipe from my grandmother
Dough:
3 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3 tablespoons of sugar
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 cup of solid shortening (Crisco)
2 egg yolks
8 Tablespoons of water
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Mix flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder until blended. Cut shortening into flour mixture. In separate bowl, mix egg yolks and water, add to flour mixture.
Mix well until dough forms a ball. Roll out ball to cover cookie sheet. I use a 9 x 13 pan. Place on cookie sheet for bottom crust. Arrange apple filling on crust, add struessel topping. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Cool and then drizzle with glaze.
Filling:
14-16 medium size tart apples
2 Tablespoons of flour
11/2 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice
Cut, pare, quarter, and core apples. Cut into uniform slices. Blend flour with sugar, cinnamon, and pour over apples. Mix and then arrange on crust. Dot the apples with butter cubes, then sprinkle with lemon juice.
Struesel Topping:
1 cup of flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup butter softened
Stir flour, cinnamon and brown sugar together, add softened butter. Use pastry blender and cut mixture together until well blended. Sprinkle mixture over the apples.
Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon softened butter
4 teaspoons warm water
Blend powdered sugar, butter add water to form a glaze.
You can also make this pie with a top crust and a bottom crust, and then drizzle with glaze once cooled.
I make these often and make them both ways. I love them and each time I take a bite I remember the happy days I spent rolling and eating dough with my grandmother.
The dough is flaky, the spiced apples are soft but hold their shape; paired with the struessel topping and glaze there is the right mixture of sweet and tart.
I hope you try this yummy recipe, it is a great alternative to apple pie, or apple bars and is a great dessert for Thanksgiving and can be made in advance.
Before I go,I want to wish my husband Bill a Happy Birthday!
He has followed his dreams and has lived many lives. He has been, a publisher of a small magazine, a commercial pilot, and a business owner and that was all before he met me!
I am inspired daily by his zest for life, love of adventure, and quest for knowledge.
I love you Bill and wish you a wonderful day and look forward to many more birthdays together.
Linking to:
I should be mopping the Floors
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Home and Garden Thursday at A Delightsome Life
G’Day Saturday at Natasha in Oz
How Sweet the Sound, Pink Saturday
No Minimalist Here
Flour me with Love
How Sweet The Sound
Or So She Says
Melt in your mouth Monday
Lavender Cupcakes with Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting
Happy St.Patrick’s Day
Chocolate Peppermint No-Bake Tart
Summer Peach Salad
gosh, what a gorgeous pie, I love the sound of all the ingredients, delicious. I wonder if it will work with our scrumptious English Bramleys? Only one way to find out, I'll have to bake it.
Happy Birthday to Bill:-)
Have a great week
Jude x
First let me say Happy Birthday to your husband.
Then let me say, Oh Elizabeth! Oh how I wish I had some of this to have with my morning coffee. It would be devoured in five minutes by the people at my office.
Happy birthday to your husband who sounds like a fabulous man! And lucky him to be the receiver of all of your decadent treats….wow that alone is worth its weight in gold:)
This looks soooo good too. I would weigh 400 pounds if I tried everything you post, but this one is too good to not try!
Your weekend sounds perfect…..enjoy your Monday.
Good morning dear Elizabeth!
First of all, I don't EVEN KNOW how you manage to get so many things done in ONE DAY! ALl that baking and cooking and then biking and reading????? WOW I thought I was productive!
Your grandma's recipe looks fantastic. AND I hope you got my email.
I have had a crazy morning, but I will be taking your advice about the blog gadget and now to sit down to get that done. I want to let you know how much I appreciate YOU.
Anita
That looks scrumptious. I love apple treats, but my husband does NOT! So I rarely get to make them. Sigh. Happy Birthday to Bill! Hope you two have a splendid day 🙂
I think I'm gaining weight just looking at all these scrumptious photos! I'm now following you here, too 🙂
Susan
I hope your husband has a wonderful birthday! We are also having some cooler fall weather, and everyone is happy about it. I made apple brownies this weekend from a fabulous new cookbook about cooking with apples. Just like you, I love to stay home and be cozy at this time of the year, but also love taking walks and being outside when the weather is this good. Have a great week, Elizabeth!
xx Sunday
I can't believe I've never tried and apple slab pie! I have so many apples to use, I think I found the perfect recipe for them!
Oh, this looks delicious! Visiting from Melt in Your Mouth Mondays
Apple pienis my favorite……but that being said; I don't bake! I have never made a pie crust. So, I will just DROOL all over myself looking at this and wishing I had a piece. XO, Pinky
This looks so good – love all those delicious looking layers!
Thank you for sharing your grandmother's recipe. Looks amazing! I'm going to make it for my family this weekend. I came over from Elizabeth & Co. link party.
This looks amazingly delicious.
Thank you so much for sharing at Nibbles and Novels, friend!! Although, I think I missed the literary inspiration…? Your grandma?? Ah well, it works!! And looks scrumptious, of course!!
~April
Thanks for sharing! I made this recipe last Thanksgiving and it was a hit! Delicious! Love that it makes a lot of pie for a crowd!
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This recipe looks amazing! I love the story of making this with your grandmother. Precious memories for sure! Can’t wait to give this a try!
Thank you Leslie!