Apple Pie

Everyone has a recipe for apple pie, but I thought I'd post my favorite. This one is from Martha Stewart, and it is truly scrumptious. Some important tips are using butter that is cold and working quickly. Another trick I've discovered is rolling out the dough on a Sil-pat sheet (silicone baking sheets that you use on your cookie sheet to prevent sticking). It rolls out nicely and then you just flip the dough into the pie-plate and bam! You've got a beautiful crust ready to fill.

Handmade Pastry (makes a 9" double crust)
2-3/4 c. white flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
12 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, chilled
4 tbsp. shortening, chilled
6-10 tbsp. ice water

Place flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl; whisk to combine. Add butter and shortening. Using a pastry cutter, 2 tablespoons, or a pastry attachment on your mixer, blend until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Gradually add ice water, mixing just enough so the dough holds together.

Apple Pie (makes a 9" pie)
1 recipe Handmade Pastry
3 tbsp. flour
3 lbs. apples, cut into wedges
1/2 cup sugar
1/2-3/4 tsp. spices (combination of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and clove)
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest, optional
pinch of salt
2 tsp. unsalted butter, cut in pieces
2 tbsp. cream

1. Preheat oven to 400. Roll out dough (top and bottom).
2. Combine apples, sugar, flour, spices, lemon juice, zest, and salt. Toss to combine. Pour into bottom crust. Dot with butter. Cover with top crust. Cut vents into crust.
3. Brush crust with cream and sprinkle with sugar. (This step makes the crust delicious and crispy). Place on baking sheet and pot into oven for 45-60 minutes. Recommended but not necessary: cool for 1 hour before serving.

Hope you love this as much as my family does!