Apple Pie

There is no better smell coming out of a hot oven than apple pie...crisp granny smith apples, melted cinnamon and sugar, with a flaky crust wrapped around it. There's something so classy to me about serving just a basic apple pie. If your having a more formal type of dinner you can put a lattice crust on top and sprinkle it with raw sugar. I had my parents over for dinner lastnight and decided to dress it down a bit so I made a flat apple pie, simply by rolling out the crust on a cookie sheet, placing the apples in the middle and then folding up the sides.

Apple Pie

For the crust:
From Betty Crocker, 1969
*if making a top for your pie...double ingredients for 2 crusts

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Crisco
3 to 4 Tablespoons cold water

Add flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Cut in shortening with a pastry cutter or fork until there are no chunks left. Sprinkle in water, 1 tablespoon at a time until all flour is moistened and dough cleans from the sides of the bowl.

If your making a double crust, divide dough in half. On a floured surface, roll dough out somewhere between 1/4" and 1/8" so that it is 2" larger than your pie tin if your using one. Fold dough into quarters and transfer to pie tin or a cookie sheet for the flat apple pie.

Apple Filling:
adapted from Pioneer Woman

4-5 small peeled and sliced apples (Granny Smith work the best!)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 stick butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Peel skin from apples and punch out core with an apple corer. Cut apples in half from top to bottom and thinly slice apples, about 1/4". In a large bowl, stir together apples, flour, lemon juice, sugars, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour apples into pie tin and add the top layer of crust, being sure there is some type of vent for steam to escape. Alternatively, place apples in the middle of crust rolled out crust for the flat apple pie and fold over edges.

Dot top of pie with butter and bake for 40 minutes, or until the filling is golden and bubbles.

Enjoy!!