When life gives you apples...

Fresh local winter fruit is essentially non-existent in our northern climate. Imports from California, Mexico, or South America prevent me from developing scurvy through these cold months until I can indulge in Fraser Valley blueberries and Okanagan cherries once again. At the Winter Farmers Market, the fresh fruit selection includes only stored apples but there are a variety from which to choose.

My recent favourite has been the Ambrosia, a delicious eating apple, but they were unavailable and so a big bag of Honeycrisp came home instead. Unfortunately, these Honeycrisp were not so crisp and the picky apple eater in me refuses to eat a soft apple. But what a good excuse to make apple pie instead!


Funnily, I never had a home-made apple pie growing up until I made one myself in my late teens; however, I did consume my fair share of MacDonald's apple pie, those deep-fried golden bars ready to spill their molten apple innards which were replaced by the "baked" version in 1992. I remember them so well and with such disturbing fondness. Even the characteristic pillow box packaging makes me a little sentimental, thinking of the many times my sister and I would sit in the back seat of my mom's Volvo eating our MacDonald's apple pie while being shuttled between piano lessons and dance class.


Meanwhile, these Honeycrisp apple pies were assembled in small 5.5" diameter pie plates. This relieves the unavoidable urge for Eric and me to gluttonously consume an entire 9" diameter pie as fast as possible since a freshly baked pie is always yummier than leftover pie, in my opinion. Only one small pie was baked and shared à la mode while the rest patiently await their turn in the freezer. It's all about portion control, right?