Peaunut Butter Balls

          Christmas is not complete without some of these deliciously crunchy peanut butter, dipped in chocolate, balls.  They are super easy to make.  In fact my kids fight over who gets to help mom with this recipe.

Melt together over low heat -
2 sticks of butter or margarine
16 oz. of crunchy peanut butter

In a 2 qt. bowl stir together -
3 1/2 cups of Rice Krispies
1 lb. of powdered sugar

Pour the melted peanut butter mix over the Rice Krispies mix and gently mix it with a large wooden spoon. 

This is the part that the kids love to help with.  They will happily wash their hands if they know they get to help with this fun job!  Using your hands, form the Peanut Butter mix into 1 inch balls.  (I like them to be small enough to eat in one bite if so desired.  Also, you get a better peanut butter/chocolate ratio that way.) 

Melt, carefully stirring over low heat - 
1 package of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 bar of **parafin wax  

 **Parafin wax is found by the home canning supplies.  It is perfectly edible, and in this recipe is used to give the chocolate a shiny, glossy appearance.  It could be left out, if you prefer.  I have always used it.

Using a slotted, metal spoon, dip and roll the balls in the chocolate.  Place and cool on wax paper or a Silpat.

Store in a tightly covered container.  I would think that they would keep for a week or two, but they never last more than a few days around here, so I couldn't tell you for sure.

Coconut Cream Pie

  Every year for Thanksgiving, I carry on a tradition that my mom started when I was young.  I make a fun and fancy menu for Thanksgiving.  I hang it on the fridge and everyone has to sign up for what they will make.  Each family member has to be in charge of a dinner item, a pie and treat (like chex mix).  

 Last year my oldest son asked if we could please make a coconut cream pie because that's what he wanted to sign up for.  I did some looking, and found this recipe on allrecipes.com.  It reminds me a lot of my grandma's recipe.  Glenn made the pie, with my help, and it was a HUGE favorite last year!  It will definitely be on our menu for this year's Thanksgiving!

1 cup sweetened, flaked coconut 

3 cups half and half 

2 eggs, beaten 

3/4 cup white sugar 

1/2 cup flour 

 1/4 tsp salt 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

1 9 inch pie crust, baked 

1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 

Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake it, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. 

In a medium saucepan, combine the half-and-half, eggs, sugar, flour and salt and mix well. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in 3/4 cup of the toasted coconut and the vanilla extract. Reserve the remaining coconut to top the pie. 

Pour the filling into the pie shell and chill until firm, about 4 hours. 

Top with whipped topping and with the reserved coconut. 

Chocolate Chess Pie

Chocolate Chess Pie is one of my top favorites!  It is nothing but rich, smooth chocolate in a pie crust.  I like to add whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

The first time I made this it was delicious, but had baked up a huge hollow bubble in the center.  So I always one and half the filling now to make sure there is not a hollow center in this deliciously dense pie.  I pour a generous amount in, all the way up to the top of the seam of the crust before baking.  This is the recipe as I make it, and used in one pie crust.

1 1/2 Sticks of Butter 

3 (1 oz. each) squares unsweetened chocolate

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

1 9 inch unbaked pie crust

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over medium-low heat; stir until smooth.

2.  Combine sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt in a large bowl; beat with a fork until well mixed.

3.  Add chocolate mixture to sugar mixture; stir until well combined.

4.  Pour chocolate mixture into pie crust.  Bake until pie appears slightly set toward center,  about 45 minutes.  A hard crust forms on top.  I usually lift this crust off with a butter knife.  I usually need to bake it longer after that.  

If any of my readers can tell me a better solution to this hard crust issue then please fill me in. 

The top is usually not very pretty because of the crust that I take off.  I decorate it with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Cool completely before serving. 

My daughter usually signs up to make this one for Thanksgiving.  It's her favorite.

Chicken Mole' Pizza

I am posting this recipe tonight for my baby sister, who is pregnant, and has certain cravings.

 

 I love this yummy, fast, easy dinner. My family is always excited when I make this fun and different pizza for dinner.  The sauce is a Mole' sauce, which is a spicy chocolate and peanut sauce used in Mexican and Spanish cooking.  Don't be intimidated though, because this is a very simple recipe for a "mock" mole' sauce.

This recipe comes from Pampered Chef 2005.  I often use a prepared (Boboli) pizza crust, but you can make your own as well.

Preheat Oven 425 degrees.

Mole' Sauce - 

1/4 cup barbecue sauce

2 Tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 teaspoons creamy peanut butter

3/4 teaspoons chili powder (I suggest starting with 1/4 teaspoon, then adding for more heat after tasting.  Especially if you're feeding kids.)

1 teaspoon lime juice

1 small garlic clove, minced (1 teaspoon bottled)

Combine and melt in microwave safe bowl, in microwave for 30-60 seconds.  Stir well, make sure all the chocolate chips are melted in.  Spread sauce over crust.

Pizza - 

Prepared and pre-baked pizza crust

Toss together - 

2 cups shredded, cooked, chicken breast (I open up 1 large can of chicken from Costco.)

1 bell pepper diced, about 1 cup

1/4 cup onion

1/4 cup sliced black olives

Spread the chicken/veggie mix over the sauce on crust.

Top with sliced tomatoes and shredded Mexican cheese blend (colby and monterey jack).

Bake 16-18 minutes at 425 degrees.

Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Cajun Garlic Pork Roast

Are you looking for a delicious Autumn supper?  I love Pork roasts, and this recipe for a Cajun rub is so yummy and easy to make.  It literally takes 5 minutes to prepare, but with a few good side dishes (for example - garlic mashed potatoes) it becomes "Sunday dinner" quality. 

This recipe comes from Cooking Light May 2005.

 *This Roast Pork is best served with my special horseradish sauce on the side.  I mix 2 parts fat free sour cream with 1 part prepared horseradish. 

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1- 2 pound boneless pork loin roast, trimmed

Cooking Spray

 In small mixing bowl combine -

1 1/2 Tablespoons minced fresh garlic (I use bottled)

1 Tablespoon dried Oregano

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Time to get down and dirty.  Use your hands to rub the seasoning mix into the roast really well.  Pack on the extra bits to form a nice crust.  Place roast on a broiler pan sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours or until thermometer registers 155 degrees.  Let stand for 10 minutes. 

Serving size - 3 ounces

calories 168, fat 6.2 g, protein 25.1 g, carb 1.7 g, fiber 0.7 g, chol 62 mg, sodium 246 mg

**for Freezer Meal - I usually buy a large family size package Pork Roast.  I use each piece in the package for different freezer meals.  I combine the rub and freeze in a small Ziploc, and tape to the wrapped roast then freeze.... OR you can rub on the seasonings then wrap and freeze.

Spicy Honey Chicken Salad

 It is salad season!  Salad for Dinner in August is a great idea!  The only problem is my family can get kind of tired of me rotating through the same salad and grilling recipes over and over, especially by the time August rolls around.  Way back in April I went to dinner at a friends house for a Gourmet Club event.  The link describing the event is HERE.  The night was wonderful!  The link has all the recipes they used that night.  One of my favorite parts was the entree, which was this salad!  Delicious.  

The original recipe is from our Our Best Bites - You can find it HERE.

Last week I was making a grocery list, and feeling so BLAH about making the same old Summer time dinners, then I remembered eating this.  I am happy to say that my family loved it too!

There are so many steps to this that I recommend either making part of it earlier in the day, like the dressing.  What I did was I got help.  My husband and daughter and I all did pieces of this together.

Ingredients:

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 2lbs (Yes, Thighs!!!)
          everyone is always asking me if they can use breasts for this. Sure you can, but I’m tellin’
          ya right now it’s better with thighs.

 

2 t vegetable oil

 

Rub

2 t granulated garlic
2 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t coriander
1 t kosher salt
1 t cumin
1/2 t chipotle chili powder

 

Glaze
1/2 C Honey
1T Cider Vinegar

Instructions:

Combine the rub spices in bowl and mix well.

 

Use kitchen shears (or a pair of clean scissors) to trim off any excess fat from the chicken pieces.Pat dry. Drizzle oil over chicken and rub in with your hands to lightly coat all the pieces. Then toss chicken with the spice rub to coat all sides well. Use your hands and get in there! Grill chicken for 3-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through.

 

While chicken is cooking, warm honey in the microwave so it’s not so thick. Add the vinegar and combine well. Reserve 2T honey glaze for later. Take the rest and brush on chicken (both sides) in the final moments of grilling.

 

I’m gonna warn you that this can make a hot mess, literally. It’s sugar, and it’s gonna drip. But the smelly smoke is worth it for a minute or two. Just leave your grill on for a few minutes after the chicken is done to burn off any excess glaze. It’s totally worth it once you taste this stuff.

 

If you don’t have a bbq, try it on an indoor grill pan or use your broiler. Just be sure to open a window in case you burn your glaze!

 

Remember how I had you reserve that extra couple tablespoons of glaze? Yeah, drizzle that on top now. Your taste buds will thank you.

Salad: 

1-2 heads Romaine or Red Leaf Lettuce 
2-3 ripe but firm avocados
2 ripe but firm mangoes, chilled 
optional: thinly sliced red onion    

This serves 4 large salads or 6 smaller sized ones.

While chicken is grilling, wash lettuce and divide among serving plates. Slice avocados, onions, and mangoes and place them on top of the lettuce. When chicken is finished, let it sit for 5 minutes before slicing to preserve the juices. Then slice it up and divide among the salads. Drench it all in the Honey-Citrus Vinaigrette and pretend you’re at a fancy restaurant!

Honey-Citrus Vinagrette -

1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 T grated onion
1/3 C fresh orange juice
3T fresh lime juice
2T honey
3/4 t cumin
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground black pepper
1/2 C vegetable oil 

Place all ingredients in a tightly sealed jar and shake your bootie (and the jar) vigorously. Store in the fridge, and shake before dressing salad.

 

I'm Back!

If you do not know me personally you might be wondering where I have been. 

I am here to assure that I am back!  I will be feverishly updating, and adding more recipes here for you.  

Four months ago I had baby #6!  I have been going through a major adjustment period, along with my older five children all being home from school for the Summer.  They will be going back to school soon, and I am looking forward to getting back into my groove.

Thanks for checking in.

Blackberry Cobbler

It is August.  I do not really get along with August very well.  It's hot and my kids have been out of school and bored for too long.  However, there is one thing that I have found that I LOVE about August.  Here in the Willamette Valley Blackberries grow wild every where in August.  It is amazing!  It is really special to be on a walk with the kids on our favorite trail, and along the way we are stopping to pick and eat the wild berries.  We are not the only ones doing so, even the most avid runners will stop for a snack mid run.

This morning Jason got up while the rest of us were still sleeping.  He ran down to the corner of our street, and picked 12 cups of Blackberries.  He then came home, and got out the ice cream maker.  I made some cobbler to go along with this two batches of ice cream.  It was so delicious I am looking forward to having some for breakfast tomorrow.  Shhh... don't tell my kids.

 

 I LOVE this recipe from one of my recipe collections.  It is so divine!  I added cinnamon to the recipe myself.  It adds a lot of comfort to the dish.  This tastes best in the summer with fresh berries insides, and ice cream on the side.

*Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Combine - 4 cups frozen or fresh blackberries

               - ½ cup sugar

Mix gently and set aside.

In separate bowl combine –

            1 cup flour                    1 cup sugar

            1 t baking powder        ½ t salt

            ½ t cinnamon

Mix and add 1 cup of milk, beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Place 1/4 cup of butter or margarine in medium baking dish. (I use the deep round Demarle pan) Place in oven till butter is melted. 

Spoon batter over butter, evenly.  Spoon berries over batter; do not stir.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serve warm or cooled, with ice cream or cool whip.   Yum…

***  Original recipe is Mixed berry cobbler.  It calls for 1 cup raspberries, 1 cup blueberries and 2        

cups sliced strawberries. 

Raspberry Jam Filled Cookies

I cannot describe to you how much I LOVE these cookies!  Everyone does!  If I make them with people around, it’s hopeless.  I can’t keep any on the cooling wracks.  I remember mom making these when I was little.  I adored them then too.  They are great at Christmas time, the look and taste are both great for Christmas.  Jackson (my brother) thinks it wouldn’t be a very good Christmas with out them.  They are also one of Brooke’s favorites.  But they are good in the summer too, around the Fourth of July, the red color is great! I've also used them as goodie plate treats for Valentines Day.  They are like a mini Raspberry pie.

Cream –

                2 cup shortening

                1 cup white sugar                 1 cup brown sugar

Mix in –

                4 egg yolks            6 T milk                  4 t vanilla

Sift in –

                5 1/3 cup flour                       4 t cream of tartar                

                2 t baking soda                     1 t salt

Form into a somewhat flattened ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill.  (this is a good one to make the night before, or if it’s summer time make dough during day and cook at night)

Roll out on a floured surface.  Cut into circles about 2-2 ½ inches. (you can use the mouth of a glass as a cookie cutter)  

 Put a small spoonful of Jam onto center of ½ of the circles.  Using a knife mark an X into the centers of the other half and lay the X halves on top.  Using a fork press around edges to seal and make pretty.  Place on ungreased cookie sheets or Silpats.

Bake @ 350 for 10-12 minutes.

 Jackson with his own plate of Cookies.

Barbecued Pork Ribs

I am happy to say this recipe has received approval from an Aussie!  My brother in law loved this sauce!  I got this recipe from my good friend Alyssa.  She found it on allrecipes.com and used it for our freezer meal group.  It was one of the best freezer meals I ever received!  I have since then made it many times for my own family, and others.  Sometimes I do it as a freezer meal, ahead of time.  Other times I make it straight through!

Here is the link to the original.

• 8 pounds pork spareribs
• 3 cups ketchup
• 1 cup barbeque sauce
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 dash hot pepper sauce, or to taste
• 3 tablespoons steak sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

1. Place the ribs in a large stock pot with enough water to cover. Bring the water to a boil and cook over medium-high heat for 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. In medium saucepan, combine ketchup, barbeque sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, steak sauce and garlic; blend well. Cook the sauce over medium heat for approximately 20 minutes. (Please note that the above ingredients are all to taste. Use more or less of anything you like. I never make the ribs the same way twice!)
4. Cut the ribs between the bones (I cut with kitchen shears) and place in a baking pan. Pour sauce over ribs, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes.
5. **Freezer Meal - Boil the pork ribs to shrink then drain, cool and cut.  Place ribs in bag.  Make sauce and cool.  Pour sauce over ribs in bag.  Freeze Flat.  When ready to prepare, thaw and bake as step 4 says to.

Sweet and Spicy Rumaki

            It is so hot and sweet and delicious! My sister Brooke got this recipe and passed it on to us.  Growing up my mom always made Rumaki as part of our New Year's Eve dinner and as an appetizer other times during the year.  My mom's is very good, but but Brooke's is better, so mom's recipe has been replaced.  My mom has even replaced it.  

one package of bacon, thawed

2 cans of sliced water chestnuts

box of tooth picks

Sauce:  1/4 cup mayonnaise

             1/2 cup brown sugar

             1/4cup (or less, is recommended! more like 1/8 cup) of "Sriracha HOT chili sauce" this comes in a clear bottle and the sauce is red. 

      

Cut the bacon into thirds.  Then wrap each piece of bacon around two slices of water chestnuts and secure with a toothpick.  Set them all in a casserole dish close together.  Then mix up the three ingredients for the sauce and spoon mixture evenly over all of them. Try to not get the sauce on the toothpicks.  This makes them easier to eat.

Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.

Egg Rolls

 

There is not much to say here.  These made from scratch egg rolls are SO delicious!  Many years ago, when I was very young, my dad gave my mom a wok and a Chinese Cookbook for Christmas.  This recipe was in her book.  She made us a bunch of Chinese Food that year for New Year's Eve.  That is how our super fun NYE traditions started.   With the family so big now and friends coming over I have to double, triple or even quadruple this recipe!

These are easier to make if you have someone helping you chop and fry.  I'm all for TEAM WORK!  Or do all the chopping one day and the frying another.  However you do it, it's all worth it in the end... I promise!  By the way, I at least double these when I make them.  They store in the fridge well, and heat up nice in a oven or toaster oven the next day.

1 lb. chicken breasts, finely chopped      ½ cup finely chopped bamboo shoots                                   

2 T cornstarch                                        cabbage, finely chopped (3 cups)

2 T soy sauce                                          4 T. Oil                

1 tsp. Ginger                                           ¼ cup finely chopped water chestnuts

¼ lb. Mushrooms, finely chopped            1 tsp salt

2 tsp. Sugar                                             egg roll wrappers (usually in the produce section)

In a small mixing bowl combine chicken, cornstarch, soy sauce and ginger.  Blend, let stand for 15 minutes.  Heat oil in wok.  Stir-fry mushrooms about 1 minute.  Add chicken and continue to stir-fry until firm and white. Add remaining ingredients and stir-fry until cabbage is crisp-tender.  Cool before filling egg roll wrappers. Follow directions on egg roll wrapper packaging for filling, and frying.  Makes filling for 20 egg rolls.

Dill Bread

 I really love this recipe!  It is easy and delicious!  This is a bread recipe I can make up pretty quick to go with dinner.  It is easy to throw together, and it rises really fast.  Also, it has a whole cup of cottage cheese in it, so more protein in this bread than in most.  It is really good with soup, for sandwiches, or even toasted with melted cheese on it.  I made a couple loaves on Christmas day to eat with our left over ham.  It made really good sandwiches.

 This recipe was Jason's Grandma Pedersen's.  I have no idea how long it's been in the family.  I like imagine his pioneer ancestor's making it.  Thoughts like that make this bread even more fun for me to make.  Did I mention that my kids LOVE it?

Makes 1 loaf - I always double it for 2 loaves.

1 cup creamed cottage cheese (I blend it for a bit, or put in a Magic Bullet.  I leave some chunks.

1/4 cup very warm water

1 pkg. dry yeast (1 Tbsp.)

1 egg

2 Tbsp. sugar

*2 tsp. dill seed

1 Tbsp. minced onion (I use dried)

1 Tbsp. oil

1 tsp. salt

*1/2 tsp. dried dill weed

1/4 tsp. baking soda

2 1/4-2 1/2 cups flour

* - I have never used dill seed in this recipe.  I have never had it on hand.  I just use more of the dill weed, or have even used the Pampered Chef Dill seasoning mix.  In all I use about 1 1/2 tsp. dill weed.  If you are using fresh dill, use about half the amount of the dry dill.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Soften the yeast in very warm water.  Heat cottage cheese till warm (I use the microwave.)  Add in the rest of the ingredients.  Beat and knead, or use a bread hook in a free standing mixer.  Sometimes I add a bit more flour and continue to knead or mix, till the dough is not sticky.  Place in a clean, lightly greased, or sprayed with cooking spray, bowl.  Cover and raise till double, usually takes about 45 minutes.  Form into loaf or loaves, place in greased, or sprayed bread pans.  Cover and let rise again for about 30 minutes.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Let bread sit for about 5 minutes before removing from pans to cooling rack.

Calzones

I was craving Calzones one day, and decided to make some.  They turned out super yummy.  Here is how I made them.

Prepared Pizza dough, I used my whole wheat pizza dough recipe, with a little bit of added flax meal.

Turkey Sausage, crumbled and browned

Veggies - I used zucchini,  red bell pepper, onion and mushrooms

Shredded Mozzarella
Marinara sauce - bottled, or homemade

Brown the meat, add in cut up vegetables. 

Roll dough out into 8 inch circles.  Spread meat and Veggie mixture on one half of the dough.  Sprinkle a bit of shredded Mozzarella over meat and veggies.  Cut a few slits on the opposite side of dough.  Fold over and pinch the lose edges together.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until done. Before baking I sometimes like to sprinkle Johnny's Garlic Seasoning on top or some shredded Parmesan.

Dip in heated Marinara sauce.

Spinach Quiche

This is a super yummy meal!  I found it in the cookbook my Mother in Law made for us.  My favorite thing about this dish is that ALL of my kids love it!  They call it Spinach Pie.  I usually keep this meal simple by serving sliced pears or apples on the side.

1 10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and drained, I press the liquid out using paper towels.

5 eggs, beaten

1 cup, small curd cottage cheese

2 cups grated combination of cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese

2 Tbsp. dried onion

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 - 9 inch deep dish pie shell, unbaked

Preheat oven to  375 degrees.

Blend all ingredients and pour into pie shell.  Bake 50-60 minutes.  Let sit 5-10 minutes before cutting.  Cut into 8 wedges to serve.

I recently made this for brunch in little quiche bites for my book club. It was a huge, and delicious hit.
I made a recipe for double pie crust, and used my scalloped edge, round pastry cutter from Demarle to cut circles which I then pressed into the mini muffin silform made by Demarle.  My Demarle representative came to book club and was so impressed.  She thought the quiche bites looked like they had come from a bakery.
Score for me!

Tortellini Sausage Soup with Mushrooms and Leeks

I am embarrassed to say that a month ago I meant to buy kale, but instead bought leeks!  I have lots of excuses like, I'm pregnant, and I had kids with me in the grocery store and I was in a hurry!  Oh well!  As I put groceries away and realized my mistake I thought, "What can I make with leeks?"  I got on allrecipes.com and found a recipe I had already saved in my recipe box there for this yummy soup.  Here is the original link.

I thought, what the heck.  So I tried it, making a few adjustments of my own and voila!  DELICIOUS soup!  Here is the recipe as I make it.  I've changed the measurements to make a larger, healthier pot for my big family.  Try it and enjoy it!

Ingredients -
5-10 large mushrooms, chopped
3-4 large leeks, cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds, cut first, then rinse in cold water
2 cups chicken broth
10 cups water with 5 chicken bouillon cubes
19.5 oz. Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage

1 (24 ounce) package cheese tortellini
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco™), or to taste - I use a Thai Garlic sauce
salt and pepper to taste
5 sprigs chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

 

  Directions -

1. Cut skins off sausage links, crumble and brown over medium-high heat. Drain off most of oil and liquid.  Stir in the mushrooms and leeks; cook and stir until they soften, about 5 minutes. 
2.  Pour in the chicken broth, water and bouillon, bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the tortellini, garlic, and hot sauce. Reduce heat to medium. Cover, and simmer soup mixture for 30 minutes. 
3. Serve garnished with cilantro. 

Apple Pie Slices

A few years after I was married, my mother in law gave everyone a cookbook, filled with her recipes, for Christmas.  I don't remember which recipe I tried first, but I know this was one of the first.  One of the best parts of visiting "Grandma Ritz" is that she makes yummy treats like this.  I made this once for my side of the family, and my dad wrote in a new title in the cookbook.  He titled it, "A Party in Your Mouth."  He actually wrote it into the book!  

I made this once with cherries.  I used my cherry pie recipe for the filling.  It was delicious!  The only thing was I need to strain the liquid off, this 'slab' pie does not really hold juices so well.  Also, this dough is very sticky and fragile.  Using extra flour to roll it out would dry it out and change the texture.  The bottom crust I roll out between the baking sheet and a piece of Suran Wrap.  The top crust I roll out between 2 large pieces of Suran Wrap, peel the top layer off, lay it down carefully over the apples, then peel off the bottom layer of plastic wrap.

Mix - 2 1/2 cups flour

         1 Tbsp. Sugar

         1 teas. Salt

Cut into flour  - 1 cup shortening

Separate 1 egg. Put egg yolk in measuring cup and add milk enough to make 2/3 cup in all.  Add to flour mixture.  Mix dough just enough to shape into a ball.  Roll out half of dough into a rectangle.  Transfer to a baking sheet - 11x15, jelly roll size.

Cover bottom layer of dough with - 

2/3 cup cornflakes, slightly crushed

5 cups peeled, sliced apples

Mix - 1 1/2 cups sugar

         1 teas. cinnamon

Sprinkle sugar/cinnamon over the apples.  Roll other half of the dough between 2 pieces of Suran Wrap.  Place over the apples, pinch the edges shut.  Beat the egg white until very stiff and spread over the top.  

Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. 

While hot, drizzle with a glaze made by mixing - 

1 cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp. lemon juice