Last Saturday, I visited my grandmother to learn her famous apple pie recipe. She has been making this pie for over fifty years. When I arrived at her house, I could already smell something sweet. 'Come in, come in!' she said with a big smile. The kitchen was warm and cozy, with pots and pans everywhere. On the table, I saw fresh apples, flour, butter, and sugar. 'First, we need to make the dough,' Grandma explained. She put two cups of flour into a large bowl. Then she added a pinch of salt and mixed it well. 'Now cut the butter into small pieces,' she told me. I carefully cut the cold butter and added it to the flour. Grandma showed me how to mix it with my fingers. 'The dough should look like small crumbs,' she said. After that, we added cold water, one spoon at a time. I mixed everything together until it became a ball of dough. 'Perfect!' Grandma said proudly. 'Now put it in the refrigerator for thirty minutes.' While the dough was cooling, we prepared the apples. Grandma handed me a peeler and a sharp knife. 'Be careful,' she warned. 'The knife is very sharp.' I peeled six green apples and cut them into thin slices. Grandma put the apple slices in a big pot. She added sugar, cinnamon, and a little lemon juice. 'The lemon keeps the apples from turning brown,' she explained. We cooked the apples on low heat for ten minutes. The kitchen smelled wonderful, like autumn. 'Now it is time to roll out the dough,' Grandma announced. She took the dough from the refrigerator and divided it in half. I put flour on the table so the dough would not stick. Grandma showed me how to use the rolling pin. 'Push from the center outward,' she instructed. I rolled the dough until it was thin and round. We carefully placed the dough in a pie dish. Then I poured the cooked apples on top of the dough. 'Now we need to make the top,' Grandma said. She rolled out the second piece of dough. She cut the dough into long strips for a lattice top. 'Watch carefully,' she said as she wove the strips over and under. The pattern looked beautiful on top of the pie. Before baking, Grandma brushed the top with beaten egg. 'This will make it golden and shiny,' she explained. She sprinkled a little sugar on top too. The oven was already hot at one hundred eighty degrees. We carefully put the pie in the oven. 'It needs to bake for about forty-five minutes,' Grandma said. While we waited, she made tea and we talked about her childhood. She told me that her mother taught her this recipe. 'And now I am teaching it to you,' she smiled. The smell from the oven was making me very hungry. Finally, the timer rang and the pie was ready. Grandma took the pie out with thick oven mitts. It was golden brown and looked absolutely perfect. 'We need to let it cool for a few minutes,' Grandma said. Waiting was the hardest part! Finally, Grandma cut two big slices for us. She added a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. I took my first bite and closed my eyes. It was the most delicious apple pie I had ever tasted. The crust was crispy and the filling was sweet and warm. 'This is amazing, Grandma!' I said happily. She laughed and gave me a warm hug. 'I am so happy you came to learn this recipe,' she said. Before I left, Grandma gave me a handwritten copy of the recipe. 'Keep this safe,' she told me. 'And one day, teach it to your children.' I promised I would, and I gave her another big hug. That was the best Saturday I had in a long time.
English Story (A2)Grandma's Recipe
This A2 English story is designed for elementarys learning English. It includes simple vocabulary and short sentences to help you improve your reading and listening skills. Click any word to see translations and hear pronunciation.
About this story
A grandchild visits their grandmother to learn her famous apple pie recipe. Together they make the dough, prepare the apples with cinnamon and lemon, and create a beautiful lattice top. The pie turns out perfect, and Grandma passes down the handwritten recipe to keep the family tradition alive.
Translations in English
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Comprehension Questions
4 questions
1
What did the narrator visit their grandmother to learn?
2
What ingredient did Grandma add to prevent the apples from turning brown?
3
How long did the pie need to bake in the oven?
4
What did Grandma give the narrator before they left?
Vocabulary
30 words from this story
