"Apple pie in the sky..."

Thanksgiving is coming up and I have been wanting to share my homemade Apple Pie recipe with all of you! It is so easy and incredibly delicious... There is just nothing like homemade pie!!

Only a few months after buying our house, we noticed we had what looked like baby apples growing on our tree in our backyard. At first we dismissed it thinking it was just a coincidence, but a few weeks later they were getting big and it was undeniable - we had an Apple Tree in our backyard! Score! I quickly started experimenting with Apple Pie recipes and finally perfected one... I promise if you follow this recipe exactly, you won't be let down! I usually use apples from my tree for this, but when they're not in season and I'm buying at the store (which I will be doing for Thanksgiving this year), I like to get either Fuji or Gala Apples. Granny Smiths are too tart and Red Delicious are too bland. If you're feeling adventurous you could use a variety of apples in one pie, but I've never felt the need to try it that way. Gala or Fuji seem to do just the trick!

Over summer, for some girl time, I had invited my dear friend Chaz over to show her how to make a Gluten-Free version of this pie, and we turned it into a little photo shoot! I had made a Gluten/Dairy/Soy/Nut-free version last year for Thanksgiving when I was on a strict elimination diet due to my son (then 3 months old) having serious food allergy reactions through breastfeeding. I swear, the allergy-free version was just as good as the original! In fact, you might be surprised to learn that I had made my entire Thanksgiving meal Dairy, Soy, Gluten, and Nut free! It can be done, people!! Everything tasted just as delicious and I didn't feel the least bit deprived and I didn't have to worry about my son reacting badly to any of the food I ate. I was so worried I wasn't going to be able to eat much or enjoy Thanksgiving last year because of my son's food allergies, but I was determined and made it work for me - and it was amazing! It was a proud mom-moment for me...

If you want to make this pie allergy-friendly, you can buy gluten-free flour mix at specialty food stores and make your own crust. I also recommend using a dairy and soy-free butter. But normally, to save time, I don't make my own base crust for this, just the top which is a dutch-crumble. Don't be afraid, it is super easy to do!

If you don't have allergies and you're looking for just a good-ole', homemade Apple Pie Recipe, read on for more!

INGREDIENTS:

Filling:

• 1 pie crust (store bought or homemade)
• 5 1/2 cups peeled, cored, sliced apples (Fuji or Gala)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons of flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (a little extra doesn't hurt if you like cinnamon)
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Topping:

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, room temperature

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F
2. Fit your pie crust into 9.5" greased pie plate 
3. In a large bowl, mix together the sliced apples, lemon juice, white and brown sugars, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour onto crust.
4. Next, prepare your pie topping: In a medium bowl, mix the flour, both sugars, and room-temperature butter until it is all coarsely combined into a crumbly mixture. Sprinkle the crumbles evenly over apples. (You're going to worry there is not enough - trust me, there is!)
5. Place pie into the oven and Bake at 375°F for 50 minutes. 
6. Remove from oven, top with Vanilla Ice Cream and Caramel for extra deliciousness!