Unbeknownst to many Oxfordians, Christmas isn’t allowed to start in America until after the pageantry of Thanksgiving and Black Friday are over. Once we have all eaten ourselves into comas after the second of only three days in the year where we actually eat roasts, then the wreaths and garlands and holiday lights can come out.
Imagine my surprise then, as an American abroad, when Christmas trees started appearing the week after Halloween. I felt like I was in a television special where suddenly an animated reindeer would appear and scold me for being stuck in my American ways. To be honest, at first, I was a little peeved at how excited and spirited everyone was. Primark selling garland and reindeer antler headbands? In November? Tesco stocking Christmas candy and advent calendars before I had had a chance to eat myself into a coma on turkey and pie and to ignore the racism and genocide on which my nation had been founded? It was absolutely absurd.
However, once I overcame my initial Scrooge-like reaction, I realised how delightful an extended holiday season could be. Beyond it being socially acceptable to eat peppermint bark and wear ugly sweaters for longer, it also afforded me an opportunity to take part in some new holiday traditions with my new friends and loved ones. I drank mulled wine, exchanged Christmas cards, popped Christmas crackers and generally enjoyed the holiday cheer.
Once back home for the vac, it was time for one of my family’s oldest traditions. My dad’s family has always considered their motto to be “all pie is good pie”. No matter the family gathering, there are almost always more pies than people. Apple, pumpkin, pecan, lemon meringue, anything. This is especially true at Christmas: there must be pie and at least one of them has to be an apple pie baked with my great-great-grandma’s recipe. Now I’m not sure how meat pies or mince pies fit into this “all pie is good pie” tradition as I bring it across the Atlantic, but either way, no matter the country, it’s not a real holiday unless there’s an apple pie for dessert.
Ingredients:
Crust:
- 2-2½ cups flour (240-300 g)
- 1½ tsp salt
- ⅔ cups vegetable oil (67 g)
- 4⅓ cup milk (77 g)
Filling:
- 6-7 Granny Smith apples (approx. 8-10 cm diameter)
- up to 1 cup sugar (200 g)
Method:
1 – Mix ingredients together in a bowl until a soft dough forms.
2 – Divide dough in half and roll between wax paper until it fits the diameter of your pie pan (generally ½ cm thick, 32 cm in diameter).
3 – For bottom of pie, once dough is rolled out, remove top layer of wax paper and gently flip bottom layer (with dough on it) into the pie pan so that the wax paper is on top.
4 – Form dough to shape of pan and remove wax paper.
5 – Peel apples and thinly slice into the pie plate (with lower crust already in place).
6 – Pour 100-200 g sugar over apples depending on the tartness of the apples (more tart requires more sugar).
7 – Roll out the second half of dough in the same way as the base and gently place over top of the apples. Use fork to press top and bottom dough together so that crust is formed and pie is sealed. Use knife to cut the excess dough off the edge and poke holes into the dough to release steam.
8 – Bake at 190°C for 45-60 minutes until apples at centre can be pierced with knife easily. If you prefer a more formed apple, take pie out of the oven when apples are still hard to cut as they will continue to cook while the pie cools down.
