First Posted: 11/17/2014

I’ve moved around a bit since leaving home. When the seasons change and fall sets in, my mother always receives a text or an email or phone call asking for her apple pie recipe.

Her handed down recipe doesn’t have any secret ingredients and is actually quite simple when it comes to pie making.

So if you have any apples left over from an excursion to an orchard, get them ready for a worthy spot on a dessert table during Thanksgiving.

To make the pie, peel 8 to 10 apples, cut them into big bite sized pieces. The apples cook down while baking.

Put the pieces in a bowl, add a little flour to thicken the juice. The flour, or any kind of thickening agent, will help prevent a soggy pie.

Add cinnamon and sugar to the mix. How much sugar and cinnamon, or other fall flavored spices, you add will depend on how you like your pies to taste. I used about a tablespoon of powdered sugar. (I didn’t have any granulated sugar and didn’t want to buy a big bag for just a little bit). I sprinkled on cinnamon as if it was going out of style.

Add any extras, such as walnuts, raisins, cranberries or grapes. Yes, my mom adds grapes to lots of recipes and although I thought this odd and even gross as a child, I’ve come to appreciate the healthy sweetness grapes can add to any kitchen concoction.

I just added walnuts. I used about a cup and a half of them.

Pillsbury makes a great pie crust if you’d like to take the easy way out like I did.

Cover your pie plate with one of the crusts and add in your pie mixture of apples, flour, sugar, cinnamon and walnuts. Pile high because as the pie bakes the ingredients will become smaller making the pie appear less full.

Add the second pie crust over your mixture and seal the two rounds together. If there is extra room on the ends you can add those fancy fork marks by pressing the length of the prongs of a fork into the pie crust.

Poke a few air holes into the top crust. I poked mine in the shape of leaves. I think the pattern got lost while baking, but I applaud my effort to get fancy.

Bake an uncovered pie for 30 minutes is a 350 degree oven. Cover the pie and bake an additional 30 to 45 minutes.

Let your pie cool for a bit after it’s finished baking. Top with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and enjoy!