FoodAllergyMama.com

The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays of the year. It’s a time to gather with family and friends for fireworks, carnivals and parades. It’s also the perfect time for a summer cookout. In my family, I am the one who does all the grilling, not my husband. But truth be told I don’t mind because I love to cook and would much rather do all the grilling, cooking and baking anyway.

This year we’re doing a basic grilling menu: Mini Turkey Burgers, Hot Dogs, Grilled Corn on the Cob, Herbed Pasta Salad and Watermelon and Blueberry Salad. I love to offer two options for desserts, Chocolate Chip Soy Ice Cream Sandwiches (made with my homemade chocolate chip cookies which are the perfect size for sandwiches), and one of my all time favorite desserts, an Apple Pie.

Apple pie is the quintessential All American dessert. It’s homey, delicious and perfectly paired with a scoop of dairy free ice cream. It’s also easy to whip together in a hurry if you have fresh, crisp Granny Smith apples. I have also included my Easy Pie Crust recipe which is quickly made in the food processor. If you are short on time you can make this pie even faster by using store bought Pillsbury Pie Crust (it contains wheat). Homemade is always better, but Pillsbury is a good substitute.

I hope you all have a very Happy Fourth of July!

Classic Apple Pie

 

Yield: 6 servings

 

1 recipe Easy Pie Dough (see below), divided

1 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

11/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

61/2 cups apples (use a tart variety for best results), peeled, cored, and sliced into thick wedges

2 tablespoons dairy-free margarine, cut into small pieces

Granulated sugar, for sprinkling

 

Prepare Easy Pie Dough recipe as directed. Split recipe in half and set aside.

 

In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt with a wire whisk. Add apples, and mix well using a rubber spatula.

 

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate with dough, letting dough hang over sides. Fill with apple mixture, and dot with pieces of margarine. Place other dough round over the apples, and seal and flute edges. Sprinkle top of pie with sugar and a few drops of water. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until apples are bubbling and crust is lightly browned. Cover edges with foil if the pie is browning too quickly.

 

Remove from oven, and cool completely on wire rack.

Easy Pie Dough

  

Yield: Makes enough dough for a double-crust 9-inch pie

 

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup dairy-free shortening chilled and cut into small pieces

5–7 tablespoons ice water

 

Combine flour, sugar, and salt in food processor. Add small pieces of shortening, and pulse a few times until mixture resembles small crumbs. Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to flour mixture, pulsing until the dough just comes together. Transfer mixture to a sheet of plastic wrap. Use wrap to pull sides of dough together to form a rounded disk. Chill at least 30 minutes before using.