A college gal's reacquaintance with her lonely stove -- Apple Pie

Photo courtesy of MCT Campus.

Rainy days are always depressing. Here in Kent, it looks like we’ll have a few more of those before the weekend. These rainy nights staying in and working on mid-semester homework and projects call for one important element to get through it all: comfort food!

Comfort foods include mashed potatoes, pudding, fried chicken, i.e. foods that aren’t exactly good for you, but give you that calming effect that helps you gather your thoughts and accomplish your tasks (even if that task is just laying around watching re-runs of your favorite shows).

My favorite comfort food is apple pie. That flaky crust, ooey-gooey sauce and chunks of sugary apples just make me sit back and go “Mmm.” And you can’t forget the huge dollop of whipped cream to add the perfect touch.

I’ve never made apple pie myself before, so like every dish I’ve made thus far, I was apprehensive to how it would turn out. But luckily my love for the dish and my taste buds allowed it to turn out great!

This is what you’ll need:

2 pie crusts

6 apples

2-4 tablespoons of ground cinnamon

1 cup of white sugar

1/3 of brown sugar

Start by peeling all the apples and cutting them into super thin slices. The slices should feel soft and bendable. Add cinnamon, white sugar and brown sugar and stir all the ingredients together.

Then unravel the pie crusts, placing one on the bottom of a 9-inch round pan. Put the apples on top. Take the second pie crust and cut it into ½ inch slices. Lay half of those slices across the pie and weave the other half over and under the bottom slices. Cut off the excess crust that’s folding over the pan. Rub a butter stick along the crust to help it brown faster.

Now you’re ready to bake! Put the pie in the oven at 350 degrees for about one hour. Let the pie cool, but not too much! Apple pie is so much better if it’s still warm.

After you’re all finished, complement your slice (or two…or three) of apple pie with a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows. No, it’s not snowing this week, but it will remind you of one of the only reasons you enjoy winter: the delicious treats you love to indulge in!

I’ve been so busy trying to balance my time and complete all my assignments this semester, and I’m sure the rest of you are in the same boat. But give yourself a much needed break. Give yourself that chance to indulge, just a little, and you’ll find that you’ll then have a clear mind to push your way through to spring break! Happy baking!

Click here to discover an apple crumble pie recipe!