Okay, it's not until next month, but let's get ready.
Mabon, (pronounced MAY-bun, MAY-bone, MAH-boon, or MAH-bawn) is the Autumn Equinox. The Autumn Equinox divides the day and night equally, and we pay our respects to the approaching dark. We also offer thanks to the waning sunlight, as we prepare our harvest of this year's crops.
Mabon is a time to reflect on the past year, when we can celebrate what worked for us and assess which crops, projects, or dreams didn’t work.
The Apple
The apple is an important symbol of the Harvest.
It is a symbol for life and immortality, for healing, renewal, regeneration and wholeness. It is associated with beauty, long life and restored youth.
For Pagans, the apple has a 'secret'.
Cut an apple width ways and it reveals a pentagram containing seeds.
The five points represent the elements of Earth, Air, Fire, Water with Spirit at the top.
Then there's the magical properties of Apple wood.
It's a powerful wood of choice for the witch when working magick.
Apple wood promotes peace and harmony and honestly, it's even our favorite wood for smoking meats, poultry and fish, not that it has anything to do with peace and harmony, but we love it just the same.
Speaking of apples, here's our homemade Apple Pie recipe:
For the crust:
Please note: Another factor that helps pie crusts is using the right kind of flour. You should use pastry flour rather than all purpose flour, if you can find it. If not, use half all-purpose flour and half cake flour, well sifted together.
The key is to handle and knead the dough as little as possible and to make sure the fats stay firm and cold. Use as little water as possible to get the mixture to form clumps and take the time to chill the pie dough for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out. Rolling and re-rolling can make a tough pie crust, you don't want that.
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
8 tablespoons (1 stick or 4 oz.) unsalted butter
10 tablespoons solid shortening
2 large egg yolks
4 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
6 ice cubes
1 cup cold water, but remember, it could be about 1/2 cup, but could be more or less depending on the weather. 1 full cup would simply make a dough that's too wet.
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
8 tablespoons (1 stick or 4 oz.) unsalted butter
10 tablespoons solid shortening
2 large egg yolks
4 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
6 ice cubes
1 cup cold water, but remember, it could be about 1/2 cup, but could be more or less depending on the weather. 1 full cup would simply make a dough that's too wet.
Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk throughly. Set aside in the freezer.
Slice the cold butter into 1/4" in. thick slices. Then cut each slice in half. Place the pieces of butter into a small bowl and set aside in the freezer.
Measure out 1 cup COLD water. Place egg yolks and vinegar into the same measuring cup with the cold water. Use a small whisk or fork to stir the ingredients. Place ice cubes into the measuring cup of blended ingredients. Set aside and allow ingredients to get colder.
Retrieve the chilled flour mixture from the freezer. Using a pastry blender, or 2 knives, or your clean fingertips, cut in the shortening into the chilled flour mixture until all pieces are pea-sized or SMALLER. Keep the shortening at rooom temp for easier and more thorough cutting into the flour.
Next, retrieve the chilled butter from the freezer. Cut in the cold butter all throughout the flour until MOST BUT NOT ALL of the pieces ARE ABOUT THE SIZE OF PEAS OR LARGER.
Pour about 1/4 cup of the water mixture into the flour mixture and use a fork to gently mix and try to moisten most of the flour. Drizzle in a little bit of water at a time- while thoroughly but gently mixing with a fork. STOP ADDING WATER WHEN LARGE PIECES OF DOUGH START TO CLUMP TOGETHER. TEST THE DOUGH BY GRABBING A PORTION ABOUT THE SIZE OF A TENNIS BALL AND SQUEEZING IT. RELEASE YOUR GRIP. IF THE DOUGH HOLDS TOGETHER AND DOESN'T CRUMBLE APART, IT'S READY! If it does crumble and doesn't hold together, just keep adding a tbs. of water at a time.
Half the dough into 2 portions. Form into discs and wrap each portion with plastic wrap. Chill for at least 30 minutes to give it time for the glutens to relax.
When you are ready to roll it out, give the disc(s) a good pounding with a rolling pin or heavy cast iron skillet before attempting to roll out. If you chill it overnight, you may want to let it sit out for 10-15 min. to make it easier to roll out.
Slice the cold butter into 1/4" in. thick slices. Then cut each slice in half. Place the pieces of butter into a small bowl and set aside in the freezer.
Measure out 1 cup COLD water. Place egg yolks and vinegar into the same measuring cup with the cold water. Use a small whisk or fork to stir the ingredients. Place ice cubes into the measuring cup of blended ingredients. Set aside and allow ingredients to get colder.
Retrieve the chilled flour mixture from the freezer. Using a pastry blender, or 2 knives, or your clean fingertips, cut in the shortening into the chilled flour mixture until all pieces are pea-sized or SMALLER. Keep the shortening at rooom temp for easier and more thorough cutting into the flour.
Next, retrieve the chilled butter from the freezer. Cut in the cold butter all throughout the flour until MOST BUT NOT ALL of the pieces ARE ABOUT THE SIZE OF PEAS OR LARGER.
Pour about 1/4 cup of the water mixture into the flour mixture and use a fork to gently mix and try to moisten most of the flour. Drizzle in a little bit of water at a time- while thoroughly but gently mixing with a fork. STOP ADDING WATER WHEN LARGE PIECES OF DOUGH START TO CLUMP TOGETHER. TEST THE DOUGH BY GRABBING A PORTION ABOUT THE SIZE OF A TENNIS BALL AND SQUEEZING IT. RELEASE YOUR GRIP. IF THE DOUGH HOLDS TOGETHER AND DOESN'T CRUMBLE APART, IT'S READY! If it does crumble and doesn't hold together, just keep adding a tbs. of water at a time.
Half the dough into 2 portions. Form into discs and wrap each portion with plastic wrap. Chill for at least 30 minutes to give it time for the glutens to relax.
When you are ready to roll it out, give the disc(s) a good pounding with a rolling pin or heavy cast iron skillet before attempting to roll out. If you chill it overnight, you may want to let it sit out for 10-15 min. to make it easier to roll out.
Of course you could always use a pre-made pie shell if necessary.
Here's the filling:
- 9 cups thinly sliced, peeled Granny Smith apples (9 medium)
- Jonathan Apples are nice too
- 3/4
- cup sugar
- 2
- tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3/4
- teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4
- teaspoon salt
- 1/8
- teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
