APPLE PIE IN A POKE

APPLE PIE IN A POKE image

Yield 8 people

Number Of Ingredients 11

3-4 Granny Smith Apples - peeled, quartered and sliced (add more if a higher pie is desired - if you do this, add more topping as well - be careful b/c too many apples can make the pie soggy)
1 cup + 2 tablespoons, flour [divided use]
11/2 cups, sugar [divided use]
1 teaspoon, ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon, ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon, ground ginger
2 tablespoons (about a half lemon's worth), fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons), butter
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One 9" pie shell (preferably home made)
One grocery-size brown paper bag (the bag cannot be made from recycled materials b/c it will emit noxious fumes)

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Make the Pie Filling: In a large mixing bowl, place the sliced apples. Add 1/2 cup of the sugar, the 2 tablespoons of flour, and the nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger, Mix to coat the apples evenly. Spoon the mixture into the pie shell. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of lemon juice over the top of the apple mixture. Make the Topping: Combine the remaining sugar and flour (1 cup each) and cut in the butter. Sprinkle the mixture on top of the apples in the pie dish. Bake the Pie: Put the pie into a brown paper grocery bag (not a bag made of recycled paper). Fold over the open edge of the bag, put the pie in the 'poke' into the preheated oven (be sure the bag does not touch the heating elements) and bake for one hour. Two - four times during baking, sprinkle about 1-2 tablespoons of water on the bag as its cooking - to keep the paper from drying out. Remove the pie from the oven. The bag will easily break away from the pie once removed from the oven. Allow the pie to stand until cooled (warm is okay) to allow it to "set up" for easiest serving. I prefer to serve the pie warm.