Recipe: Apple Pie

The girls and I just finished baking a couple of apple pies, plus some tarts with the leftover dough and filling.  The following is a modification of the recipe, Blue Ribbon Apple Pie, from the Land O Lakes Treasury of Country Recipes.  I kept the ingredients the same, but changed how the filling is put together. 

For one 9" double crust pie

Crust:

2 c all purprose flour
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup shortening
4 - 5 Tbsp cold water

(note: using 2/3 cups butter instead of butter and shortening works very well)

Filling:

1/2 c sugar
1/4 c firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 c all purpose flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 c whipping cream
6 c tart cooking apples, peeled, cored nnd sliced (I like Granny Smiths)

Top: (optional - I usually skip it)
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp sugar

Pre-heat oven to 400F. 

Making the dough.
While the oven is preheating, stir into a large bowl the dry filling ingredients.  Cut in the butter (and shortening, if used) until crumbly.  Mix water in with a fork until moistened.  Divide the dough in half and shape into balls.  Wrap one in plastic and refrigerate.  Roll second ball on lightly floured surface to fit bottom of 9" pie plate.  Trim and set aside.

Making the filling.
In a large bowl, combine all the filling ingredients, except the apples. Combine well, then add the apple pieces and stir to coat.  Spoon into prepared crust.

Roll the remaining refrigerated pastry ball out to about 12"   Cut in vent slits, then place over the filled pie shell.  Crimp or flute the crust.

Optional topping:  Melt 1 Tbsp butter and brush over top crust, then sprinkly with 1 tsp sugar.

Cut a strip of aluminum foil to cover edge of pie by 2 inches and cover.  Bake in preheated oven for 35 min.  Remove foil and bake another 10-20 minutes, or until crust is lightly browned and juice begins to bubble through the vents in the crust. (Note: it helps to place a cookie sheet on the oven rack under the pie to catch any drips.)

Serve warm.

The original recipe didn't add the whipping cream until after the pie had baked.  The cream was to be added to the pie through the vent slits, then returned to the oven long enough to warm up the cream.  I found it extremely messy and frustrating trying to get the cream into the pie that way, but find it works wonderfully to just add it to the filling right from the start.