When we think of icons for America, we think of our beautiful flag, Girl Scout cookies, and apple pie.
Every cook has one of the latter, and most have more than one.
These apple pies come in many forms. There are two-crust pies, pies with sprinkle-on topping, deep-dish pies, apple pie turnovers, etc. When you try today’s recipe, you may decide to adopt it as the one you use all the time.
It is good, and it is from Joyce Tonroy of Crescent Hill Baptist Church in Columbia, where the Rev. Dr. Fred Miller Jr. is serving as interim pastor.
Joyce and her husband Jerry have been members of Crescent Hill around 15 years or so, following his coming here from Indiana to work at Fort Jackson. After his retirement, they stayed in the Columbia area, and their son Matthew and his wife Stephanie now live with them.
The Tonroys enjoy their retirement by visiting the zoo in Columbia, cooking, doing some work with flowers, etc. Their greatest interest, however, is Crescent Hill, where they attend Sunday school and both morning and evening services, and are part of the Young in Heart group, etc.
Joyce doesn’t know who Dee Stoughton is, but she remembers where she got the recipe. In October 1983, she was in a barber shop for young Matthew to get a haircut and she saw this recipe in a copy of the Indianapolis Monthly. She copied it, used it, later brought it with her to South Carolina, and has kept her original copy ever since.
This is a good pie, but it is somewhat different from the usual apple pie. It doesn’t make smooth, even slices – and the apples are more crisp than in most pies. It is a good keeper, if there is any left!
One Saturday soon, make this pie. You will thank both Dee Stoughton, whoever and wherever she is, and Joyce as you enjoy one (or two) slices for … Sunday Dinner.
Dee Stoughton’s Fresh Apple Pie
Crust:
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
⅓ cup corn oil
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons water
Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Mix flour, salt, oil and water. Form into a ball and roll between 2 sheets of waxed paper to form a circle. Put into the pie pan and bake 10 minutes.
Filling:
1 cup white sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
4-5 cups apples
¼ cup flour
1 cup milk
Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon and milk, and mix until smooth. Peel, core and slice apples. Arrange apples on cooked pie crust. Pour flour-sugar mixture over apples.
Topping:
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup flour
⅓ stick butter
In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Add sugar and flour, and stir until butter is melted and mixture is smooth (may need to add a teaspoon of water). Pour evenly over apples. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.