Martha Rogers' Apple Pie Recipe

Martha Rogers is the author of Becoming Lucy; Morning for Dove; Finding Becky; Caroline’s Choice; Not on the Menu, a part of a novella collection with DiAnn Mills, Janice Thompson, and Kathleen Y’Barbo; and River Walk Christmas, a novella collection with Beth Goddard, Lynette Sowell, and Kathleen Y’Barbo. A former schoolteacher and English instructor, she has a master’s degree in education and lives with her husband in Houston, Texas.

Martha's newest release - Spring Hope

Libby Cantrell’s life has gone from bad to worse since her mother’s death. With an abusive father, and life in a brothel, she sees no hope for her future until she gains the courage to make her escape one cold winter night.

When she arrives exhausted, hungry, and ill in Portersfield, Texas, Sheriff Cory Muldoon finds her in an alley and takes her to a doctor. Against Cory’s better judgment, Seth and Erin Winston take her in and offer her a job as a nanny for their young son. As a minister, Seth sees it as his duty to take care of the young woman. As a deputy, Cory sees it as his duty to find out the truth about her even as he is attracted to the waif of a young woman. An unexpected late winter storm and an accident at the river brings the two of them even closer. As his love for her grows and winter becomes spring, will he be able to accept her as she is now and truly forget and forgive her sordid past?

Set in the late 1800s, Seasons of the Heart weaves together the stories of four women whose great faith make a difference in the lives of the men they love. The series moves from Connecticut to Texas as it follows the lives of these women and their families as they find true love and bond in friendship only God could orchestrate.  

Martha's Recipe for Fresh Apple Pie

Apple Filling:

6-7 Red Delicious apples (if small, it may take 8)

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup brown sugar

2-3 tablespoons flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

 Dash of salt and nutmeg

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon water

Core, peel, and slice apples into thin wedges and place into a large mixing bowl. Combine flour, sugars, and spices in a bowl then sprinkle over apples. Toss with a large spoon to coat the apples thoroughly then sprinkle with the water. 

Crust:

2 cups flour

2/3 cup shortening

¼ teaspoon salt

5-6 tablespoons ice water

With a pastry blender, cut the shortening into flour and salt until mixture resembles course meal. Sprinkle 3 to 4 tablespoons of ice water and mix into flour with a fork. Add ice water until all flour/shortening mixture sticks together and can be rolled into a ball. Divide ball in half. Flatten onto a pastry cloth or board and roll out with a floured rolling pin. Fit bottom crust into pie pan and press into the sides leaving excess hanging over edge. 

Spoon apples into prepared shell. Dot with the butter, and then place top crust over apples. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp. sugar over top crust. After apples are added to crust, roll out second ball and either use whole with slits cut into it, cut into strips for lattice work top. Crimp edges of top with edges of the bottom to form a ridge around the pie pan. Use fingers to make indentions or use a pastry wheel to flatten edge. Be sure it’s sealed tightly. Bake at 400’ for about an hour or until apples are soft. Place a piece of aluminum foil on rack under pie to catch any drippings that may spill over.