Montana - The Treasure State, State flower: Bitterroot

1. Cowboy Salad
2. Warbonnet Stew
3. Camp Dumplings for Warbonnet Stew
4. Corn Oysters
5. Broiled Eggplant
6. Cowboy Soda Biscuits
7. Dried Apple Pie

Dried Apple Pie

8 cups flour
2-½ cups lard or shortening
1 rd tsp salt
1 lb dried apples
4 cups water
4 cups sugar
2 nutmegs
1 tsp cinnamon
½ cup flour

Bring apples to a boil, remove from heat, ads sugar, grate in the nutmegs, sprinkle on the cinnamon, cover and set aside.

Mix the flour and salt adding 2 cups lard. Mix with fingertips adding more lard until the mixture hangs together when squeezed but easily breaks apart. Add water little at a time until the dough can be rolled and lifted.

Roll out on a well-floured board or Roul'pat. Drape the crust over the pie tins, press down and cut to size. Be sure there are no breaks in the crust or else the juice will run under and glue it to the pi tin.

The dried apples, which have now been an hour or so off the stove, should be almost cold. Stir in about ½ cup flour. Fill the crusts quite full but don't heap as you would with fresh apples. Dried apples which have been brought to a boil an hour beforehand will thereafter neither increase or decrease in bulk. Place on the top crusts. Cut again and then pinch together bringing the dough up in a ridge rather than pinching it down against the rim.

Cut steam vents but as few as possible. Try making one hole in the exact center (You might try my vol-au-vent cutters offered on the site under Pastry Tools...they are perfect for this.) and, one for each segment you intend to cut it into.

Some paint their pies with condensed milk and sprinkle them with sugar for gloss and added flavor. Bake in a hot oven, 425º, for about 45 minutes.

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