Simple Dutch Oven Apple Pie

Today was a pretty odd day, in a lot of ways. I’ve been feeling quite stressed and down these last few days. Today, I was looking forward to attending a DOG (Dutch Oven Gathering) up in Salt Lake City.

But a major storm blew through. What a disappointment.

Not the storm, mind. We need the wet here in Utah. The disappointment was that I couldn't go to the DOG.

The storm was weird, too. It actually started snowing. And we’re not really that high up in elevation. The city of Eagle Mountain is in a valley, actually.

But I was determined to cook something. I had originally planned on doing a pie, since I figured there’d be others there that would cook main dishes. So, I held to my plans. I used the last recipe I’d been successful with, but I’d been doing some research and thought I’d add a few things. So, I added the whipping cream and the nuts and raisins. It’s cooling upstairs as I type.

Simple Dutch Oven Apple Pie

12” Oven

10 coals below
18 coals above

The Filling:

1. 6 apples, peeled and sliced
2. 1 c Sugar
3. 1 tsp cinnamon
4. A shake or two of Nutmeg
5. 2 Tbsp Flour
6. ½ c chopped nuts (I used almonds)
7. ¼ cup rasins
8. ½ pint (1 carton) heavy whipping cream

The Crust: (I made two batches)

1. 1 1/4 c Shortening
2. 3 c Flour
3. 1 Tbsp Vinegar
4. 5 Tbsp Water
5. 1 egg

I started off making the filling. I peeled and sliced the apples (they were kinda medium sized, so I did seven or eight. I probably coulda done one or two more, and filled out the pie a little more. I cut the apples away from the cores, then sliced them really thin. I put all the other ingredients in and stirred it up. This time, actually, I forgot the nutmeg. Bummer.

Then I made the first batch of crust. I am NOT an expert crust maker by any means. This is the third time in my life I’ve made a pie, and I’ve never done it in a normal oven. I poured everything into a bowl and used a pastry cutter to mix it all up. Those are hard on my wrists. But they work. Then I dumped it onto a couple of sheets of waxed paper, side by side, and layered some more paper on top. Then I rolled it out. I used the dutch oven lid as a template and cut a big circle out.

I have learned one cool trick, though. With the circle cut out, in between two layers of waxed paper, fold it in half. Then peel off the outer layer of waxed paper, so there’s sort of a crust “taco” half circle with a folded sheet of waxed paper inside. Then lay that down on one side of the bottom of the dutch oven. Finally, flip the upper half of the crust over the other half of the dutch oven, and peel off the waxed paper, and your bottom crust is perfectly placed. Since it was cut from the lid, it’ll be just a bit too big for the bottom. That’s part of the plan. I formed it into the corner where the base meets the side of the pot.

Then I rolled out some more, and cut it into strips about 2-2 ½ inches wide, as long as the rolled out dough was, and then put that onto the side of the dutch oven, smooshing it together with the base crust. I kept doing that until I had a nice wall all the way around the dutch oven.

Then I poured in the filling.

By this time, I was pretty much out of crust dough. So, I thought I’d better mix up some more, or there’d be none for the top. I rolled it out and played the same half-circle game to get the top crust placed.

Then I cut out some vent slices, and used those pieces as decorative bits. I sprinkled milk on top of it and then followed with some more cinnamon sugar over the top crust.

Then on the coals for about an hour or so, and it’s done!

It was a lot of fun watching the September snow come down, seeing all the neighborhood kids playing in it, while I sat on my front porch in my sweats and jacket cookin my pie. It’s all done, now, and all the screaming and laughing is quiet. It’s more of a cold rain, now, but it’s still flaking a little.

I think I’ll go have some hot pie!