Brown Bag Apple Pie

I was checking my cousin Megan's blog and found this recipe she posted for her grandmother/my great-aunt's recipe for brown bag apple pie. I have always wanted to make a brown bag apple pie. By always I mean ever since last month when my brother-in-law Wes told me about the one he saw on the Food Network. This recipe is delish! And I loved it more knowing that it comes from my Aunt Betty, who could knit like nobody's business and play a mean game of Peanuts.

I'm not sure it's like this for everyone, since I'm so obsessed with cooking and food, but I love using old family recipes. When I prepare my Mom's recipes, it helps me to stay connected to her. And when I happen to know that I'm using a recipe that her mother used, or one she got from her Aunt Nell or her Aunt Edna... well, that's even more cool.

How cute is this Le Creuset apple dish my mother-in-law picked up for me at Tuesday morning? I just love her and it worked perfectly for the pie.

In a paper bag! Fascinating!

Staple the bag shut.

MMmmmmm.....

I've been a crappy blogger. I've been working on some Christmas projects that I'm giving away as presents. One was a cookbook for my Dad with all of my Mom's recipes and some of our other family favorites. I've been rummaging through old pictures that my Dad sent me. It was an exhausting process but one I thoroughly enjoyed. Here's one I found with my Aunt Betty at my parent's wedding luncheon:

Aunt Betty is second from the left, sitting next to her husband Sy. My Grandma's brother Craig and his wife Karen are sitting across from Sy and Betty. I believe that's Reba sitting next to Betty. Or is it Dorothy? I also see Aunt Marinette back there. Here's another cute one of my parents at their wedding luncheon:

Let's see, from left to right I see Tracy, Jeff, Cole and Marianne, Jill, Gayle, and Becky. I also see some old guy trying to steal a stack of plates. Wedding crasher, probably. I just love old pictures.


I made just a couple small changes to the recipe:

Recipe: Paper Bag Apple Pie

(I used the barefoot contessa's perfect pie crust recipe)

Filling

8-9 granny smith apples large ones

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tbs. Flour

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbs lemon juice

Topping

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1 stick of butter

Instructions

cut apples into small chunks and place in bowl then pour lemon juice onto the apples. Combine filling in separate bowl mix and then toss with apples. spoon into pastry shell just pack them in. mix the topping and then sprinkle on top of all the apples. (this is the interesting part) Place into a paper bag and staple shut. place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 425 for 1 hour 5 minutes.