Apple, Apples and More Apples

Ok, last year I kind of missed the apples but we were so busy with everything else it was merely a passing thought.  I didn't miss all the picking, sorting, resorting, cooking, baking and then ending up realizing we threw many of them away anyway.  This year is a fairly good crop but many of them have some kind of a rust, that while only skin deep, looks really bad.   We've already made one batch of cider and even though I'm still saving jugs, we don't have enough for another batch yet.  We picked a lot yesterday and I can feel it in my arms.  I made pigs-in-the-blanket yesterday and made a side of scalloped apples to go with it.  We only had a small basket of the Northern Spies so I used those up in the dish.  I was surprised at how soft they were, especially for a pie apple like that.  Today I want to make some of Martha's pate brisee which is her fancy way of saying pie crust.  She makes it with butter in the food processor and while I've tried my recipe with shortening like that, it didn't work very well.  I think the key is to keep that butter firm so I'll try her recipe.  I have enough of our Granny Smiths to make a pie so I'll probably do that.  The other day at the luncheon, someone mentioned that Honeycrisps don't cook up that well in a pie.  Of course, I had to tell the microwave version of pie that I make.  Everyone is shocked when I say that but it really is the best I've found.  We also keep the neighbors stocked with apples.  The girls came home from school with a recipe for crockpot applesauce which they made and it was gone that same day.  I think they know by now when they see a bag or basket in front of the garage, it's applesauce time.