Brown Bag Apple Pie

I am so excited to share this recipe with you today!  While we were on our Tennessee road trip, my friend Lisa stayed at the house dogsitting Albie.  When we returned home, we found an apple pie waiting for us on the counter.  After 13 hours in the car, apple pie for dinner sounded wonderful!

But this wasn't any old apple pie - it was the BEST apple pie any of us had ever tasted.  We were all ooh-ing and aah-ing over how delicious it was.  I immediately texted Lisa requesting the recipe.  She gave it to me and let me know she has been making it for years.  She originally found it in a Utah newspaper many years ago.  And the funny thing is ... you bake it in a brown paper bag.

Since then, I have made this pie several times.  I delivered one to a friend and they raved about it.  I made it for Michael's birthday and the family said it was the best.  So give this recipe a try!  It's really easy.

The bottom crust is made with oil and just pressed into the pie pan.

 Lots of apples - honeycrisp were my choice.

 Put the apples in the crust.

 The top crust tastes like a sugar cookie.  

Instead of sprinkling it on like a streudel, you press it on to make a rustic top crust.

Again you can see how the top crust is just pressed on. 

Put it in a paper bag on a baking sheet and seal it up with staples.

After low and slow baking, the finished product is brown and crispy on top.

When I made the second batch of pies, I used an HEB bag instead of a Whole Foods bag.  The HEB bag was made of a flimsier paper, and the top was not as brown and solid.  So I wonder if a thicker paper bag makes for better baking?

Here's the recipe.  I hope you'll give it a try.

Crust

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup oil

2 Tablespoons cold milk

Mix until blended.  Pat into 9" pie pan.

Filling

6 cups sliced and peeled apples

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)

Combine and toss with apples.

Topping

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup softened butter

Mix together with fingers.  Crumble over pie.
The topping should not touch the bottom crust.

Place in paper bag and seal.

Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 45 minutes.