Simple cinnamon apple pie

Ingredients

1 2-pack uncooked piecrust 

1 20 oz. can apple pie filling 

2 tbsp. cinnamon 

1/2 tbsp. nutmeg 

1 tbsp. brown sugar 

1/2 tbsp. sugar 

1 egg white 

Instructions

To begin, locate a typical pie pan—preferably glass, as it will cook more evenly—and spray it lightly with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Next, remove one of the two uncooked pie crusts and roll out flat—you may need to roll it slightly with a rolling pit; fit the crust inside the pie pan, pressing against the sides and bottom so as to remove any bubbles. Using a fork, lightly stab holes in the crust on its bottom and sides to let it breath when baking. 

Next, create the filling. Add the can of apple pie filling to a small to medium-sized mixing bowl, scooping out every last drop of the filling—if a fuller pie is preferred, add half to a whole additional can, but one can alone will work. Add the cinnamon and nutmeg; stir well until mixed thoroughly—you will be able to see specks of the spices after mixing. Finally, add the brown sugar and white sugar; mix well until evenly distributed. 

Next, pour the filling inside the crust; smooth out the filling so the pie is even. Sprinkle a little more brown sugar on top if preferred. 

Meanwhile, remove the second piecrust and lay flat on a cutting board—you may wish to roll it out some with a rolling pin afterward—to create a lattice topping. Then, using a pizza cutter cut 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick strips vertically; this will result in about 10 to 12 strips total. Place one strip at a time starting vertically then horizontally (or vice versa) while alternating over-under every other strip. This will create the lattice topping. Throw away any excess dough not used—or you can use this to create your own fancy additive to place on the top crust! 

After finishing the lattice topping, crack an egg into a small bowl while separating the yolk and egg whites, keeping only the egg whites. Using a kitchen brush, dip into the egg whites and brush across the pie topping and crust, liberally covering all visible crusts. Once the piecrust is all covered, sprinkle brown sugar atop the entire pie, followed by cinnamon; add as much or little as is preferred. 

Finally, your simple cinnamon apple pie is ready to bake (once the oven is preheated)! Before putting it into the oven though, cover the piecrust with aluminum foil, removing a circle of foil over the majority of the pie’s center. Bake for 40-50 minutes depending on your oven; keep a close watch on the pie during this time. Rotate the pie about halfway through its baking time and take off the foil covering with about 10 minutes left of the baking time. Remove the pie when it is lightly golden brown and the filling begins bubbling through the lattice topping. 

Let cool for 20-30 minutes, then cut and enjoy! 

Commentary

I absolutely love making pies; it is probably my favorite dessert, especially to make myself at home. Not only are they delicious, but they also are extremely easy to make. While you could create your own homemade dough for the piecrust, I have yet to try that, so store-bought works well in a pinch or as a substitute. Now, there are many different store-bought crusts to use, such as the crunchy ones you don’t technically need to bake, but the one I have listed here to use is by far my favorite. 

I’ve made plenty of pies in my time and they’ve all been made more or less very similarly. I have baked from fresh blueberry to cherry lemon; again, you can also make the filling from fresh fruits (as that would taste the most fresh and delicious), but you don’t have to, especially when fresh fruit is often so expensive and more difficult to use when making filling. With this in mind, most grocery stores will carry various pie fillings and all, when paired with the right spices, can become one of the best pies you’ve made. Try getting out of your comfort zone by mixing various pie fillings together, such as lemon and blueberry or strawberry and cherry. 

Every time I make a pie I always create a lattice topping, as it tastes just as good but also looks even fancier—not to mention it is super simple to create and master! I first learned how to create a lattice topping from my aunt in middle school after we visited a local orchard to pick fresh blueberries for a blueberry pie, and since then I have never forgotten! 

I hope you enjoy this simple and cute taste of fall pie recipe but enjoy the pie itself even more! Happy almost fall!