The first pie of the season. fail.

Our apartment is officially filled to the brim with Apples . Although I eat at least one a day, right after our picking I had to head to Chicago for work. When I returned i knew an apple pie was on the agenda. We just couldn't wait until Thanksgiving.
Enter my mother's famous Pie. Now its not my mother's because she made up the recipe or anything, she is just so perfect at executing it (Betty Crocker's Better Homes and Gardens). Honestly no one else compares. I would NEVER buy a store made crust or a store pie for that matter!! Not that I judge anyone who does (I have had my fair share of delicious store bought deserts) it was just a homemade crust/pie has been ingrained in my cooking brain for as long as I can remember.

Now if you read my blog you know that i cook "healthy" and those ingredients that aren't healthy or I don't particularly care for tend to get omitted or substituted with something else.
For example:
Oil - omitted or applesauce in baked goods
Butter - i like to use brumble and brown (a yogurt based spread)

Normally when it comes to crust I stick with the old tried and true recipe. No substitutions here, however I don't have Crisco in my house normally and i assumed that using brumel would suffice...the crust rolled out beautifully! the best it EVER has! I even placed a phone call to my mom letting her know that this would be my "best pie yet...". I really should have known better...
Now I know you are thinking, "that pie looks great" and it does! But the flavor in the crust just was not there. It never fully browned and honestly the crust tasted like cardboard...

A few weeks later, with the hard lesson learned, I purchased some Crisco and tried again...

Look at the brown on that crust!
Erin actually didn't mind the taste of my first attempt however after tasting this one...she understood my feelings.Even I can admit...sometimes substitutions just do not work!