Best Recipe from (this) Christmas Past

So, this was our very first Christmas as a married couple. Very exciting.

Since my immigration status is under review - I entered the U.S. on a K-1 fiance visa and now am in the process of filing for Adjustment of Status to become a pernament resident - I do not have the paperwork I need to cross any international borders right now. Which meant, we couldn't go "home" to Canada for the holidays. Additionally, Dana's parents had planned to spend the holiday with his sister, her husband, and their two young boys. So it was just the two of us, having a nice little romantic Christmas at home.

I, being the aspiring home-chef that I am, couldn't let the holiday pass by without whipping my kitchen into a frenzy. It was pretty standard Christmas dinner fare: turkey breast, a small ham, my mother's recipe for Sweet Potato Bake, mashed potatoes, etc.

But the real standout at our Christmas dinner table was this phenomenal Apple Pie. Here is the recipe that I used:

Pastry for one 9" pie.

1/2 cup butter

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Pinch of nutmeg

1/4 cup of water

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

5 large tart apples (I used Granny Smith) - peeled, cored, and sliced into 1/4-1/2 inch slices

-Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

-Prepare the pie. Press bottom crust into pie plate and fill with prepared apples. Have top curst ready to go nearby, with slits or cuts already made.

-Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan.

-Whisk in the flour, allowing the mixture to thicken to a paste.

-Add water, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Stir to mix and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and let simmer for one minute.

-Pour the butter and sugar mixture over the apples - reserving about 1/4 cup.

-Quickly place the top crust over the pie and crimp the edges.

-Using a pastry brush, gently brush remaining butter/sugar mixture over the top crust.

-Bake for 12 minutes in preheated over.

-Prop oven open and reduce the heat to 350 degrees.

-Continue to bake for 30-40 minutes, closing the oven after the first ten minutes.

This recipe was definitely a keeper! The crust came out golden, wasn't soggy on the bottom, and the apples were soft but not mushy! This pie may have become our very own holiday tradition.

Give it a try!

PS: This recipe was based on "Apple Pie by Grandma Ople" on allrecipes.com