My husband doesn’t ask for much.

He wears his jeans until they are absolutely shredded, and then says, “If it’s okay, can you get me a pair of work jeans?  Just the $10 ones.”

He takes his lunch to work – and it’s either baloney sandwiches or supper leftovers.

We’re trying to trade vehicles, and he’s insistent that I get the newer car – he’ll take the hunk o’ junk.

He eats what I put in front of him – as long as it’s free of anything creamy or green.

Once in a while – he will ask for something special.

He saw my pile of recipes yesterday and dug this one out…

“Upside down apple pie?  Please say you’re making this.  Tomorrow.”

Aww.  He’s so sweet.

This recipe was published in our local newspaper The Journal Gazette on Monday, February 21.

I think I’ve mentioned this before, but there is a small Amish community close.  Mille Otto writes a weekly (or so) article called “My Amish Home.“  It’s about …well, it’s about her Amish home, I guess.  She’s a member of the Old Order Amish from Arthur, Illinois, and she always includes a recipe with her articles.  The note with this recipe is this:  “I thought this recipe sounded really good.  But maybe I should have tried it out first.”

Thanks, Millie.  Encouraging.  For realsies.

Regardless, let’s be brave and make this un-attempted recipe.  Adventure.  No fear.

8 cups of peeled and sliced apples, 1/4 cup melted butter, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1 cup pecans, 1/4 cup softened butter, 1/3 cup brown sugar.

Easy enough, right?

Cover a pie plate with foil.

Millie says we should use the 1/4 cup of softened butter and grease the foil.  I had a bit of butter left over (like most of it) so I cut the butter into pieces and laid it on the foil.Arrange the pecans on the butter – rounded side down.

Now sprinkle the brown sugar over the pecans…Cover the brown sugar and pecans with a pie crust and “press firmly against the pecans and up the sides”.Yeah, I totally bought that pie crust.  49 cents for 2 pie crusts?  I can’t make them for that!

Mix the apples, flour, cinnamon, sugar, and melted butter…And pile that onto the pie crust…

Feel free to eat any apples that fall onto the table.  They’re no good to the pie, anways.

Now cover the apples with a second pastry – crimp the edges and cut slits in the top.The second of the purchased pie crusts…totally split the edges on this one.

Bake at 375 for 65 minutes.Are you kidding me?  I could dive in right now.  But we gotta let it cool.  Dangit.

10 minutes.

Then flip the pie onto a plate.Are you ready to see it?

Are you sure?

PSYCHE!  I gotta take the foil off first.now, are you ready?  Shut.  UP.Look.  How.  Gorgeous.

It has to cool completely before cutting.

And here we are.Hey Miss Millie?  This is a great recipe – thanks for sharing it!

Upside Down Apple Pie

from Millie Otto, Arthur Illinois

As printed in the Journal Gazette-Times Courier on Monday, February 21, 2011.

Used with permission.

Pastry for two-crust pie

Filling:

3/4 cup sugar

2 tbsp melted butter

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup flour

8 cups apples, peeled and sliced

Glaze (or topping)

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 cup pecan halves

1/4 cup butter

Preheat oven to 375

Line a pie pan with foil.  Spread butter on the bottom and sides of the foil.  Arrange pecans in pie plate, rounded sides down.  Sprinkle brown sugar over the pecans.

Roll out pie dough and transfer to the pie plate, pressing the crust firmly into the pecans  and up the sides.

Combine sugar, flour, salt, melted butter, cinnamon and apples, toss to coat.  Fill the crust with the apple mixture.

Roll out remaining pastry and cover the filling.  Trim and crimp edges, cut slits to vent.

Place pie on baking sheet and bake for 60-70 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.

Cool 10 minutes, then invert the pie onto a plate.  Cool completely before serving.

It’s good.