Updated apple pie in a bag safe now

Because potentially harmful chemicals could possibly be released in the heat of an oven, brown-bag-baked apple pies have become a thing of the past.

What to do? That’s exactly what Marysville reader Bret Latlip has been wondering. Enough so, in fact, that he asked if Forum cooks could help him build a bagless version.

And Bret’s not the only one holding the bag on this project. Pam Dotson of Everett says, “My favorite apple pie recipe, my grandmother’s, bakes in a bag, and I’d really hate to never make it again.”

And Donna Smith of Marysville tells us, “I have been baking apple pies in a brown paper bag for over 30 years. The pies can be baked in an oven bag made by Reynolds, but I do not care for the way they don’t brown as well.”

So now what?

Well, Everett helper-outer Carol Wilson tells us not just what, but how. For starters, here’s a from-scratch apple pie, baked in a safe, made-by-you parchment “bag.” Carol says she found this recipe technique “on the Washington State Apples Web site — it’s a really good site.”

Another very similar possibility Carol found at www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipefinder. It’s interesting that this version, triple-tested at the Good Housekeeping Research Institute, mentions it’s GH’s famous apple pie in a bag from 1961, “updated to bake in a plastic oven-cooking bag, which is safer than the brown bag originally called for.”

Apple pie in a parchment “bag”

Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced to measure 8 cups

1tablespoon orange juice

1/2teaspoon cinnamon

2/3cup all-purpose flour, divided

1/3cup sugar, divided

19-inch unbaked pie shell

6tablespoons (3/4 cube) butter or margarine

1teaspoon grated orange zest

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Turn apples into large bowl; toss with orange juice, cinnamon and 2 tablespoons each flour and sugar. Fill the pastry shell with the apple mixture, mounding in the center.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining flour and sugar; with a pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in orange zest. Gather mixture together to form a soft dough. Flatten small pieces of dough between fingers and arrange on top of apple filling. (Dough will not completely cover filling.)

Wrap pie in a 15-inch-by-30-inch piece of parchment paper, folding parchment over the top of the pie, making sure it does not touch pie; staple ends of parchment to seal. Set pie on rack in center of oven and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes.

When baked, remove pie from oven, carefully open parchment and allow steam to escape, then remove pie from the parchment and cool on a wire rack.

Makes one 9-inch pie.

Good Housekeeping’s updated apple pie in a bag

8medium Golden Delicious apples

1/2teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4cup sugar, divided

1/2cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided

1frozen 9-inch pie shell, thawed

1/2cup butter or margarine

1large (14-by-20-inch) oven-cooking bag with nylon tie

Peel, core and thinly slices apples to make 8 heaping cups. In large bowl, toss apples with cinnamon, 1/4 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons flour. Fill pie shell with apple mixture, piling high in center.

In a small bowl, with hand, knead butter or margarine, remaining 1/2 cup sugar and remaining 1/2 cup flour into a soft dough. Pull dough into small pieces, flatten each slightly and arrange on top of apple mixture. (It is not necessary to completely cover apple mixture.)

Insert several wooden skewers (about 4 inches tall) in pie so cooking bag will not touch top of pie during baking.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place pie in oven-cooking bag, close bag with nylon tie and cut 6 1/2-inch slits in top of bag. Place pie in jelly-roll pan or on cookie sheet. Set pan on rack in center of oven (make sure bag does not touch oven walls or oven racks). Bake pie 1 hour and 15 minutes or until top of pie is golden brown.

Remove pie from oven, bag and all. Carefully, with kitchen shears, cut bag open. Remove pie from bag. The bottom of the bag will be greasy!

Set pie on plate on wire rack to cool.

Makes 10 servings.

The next Forum will appear in Wednesday’s Food section.