The crust: (For one 9" pie)
2 c. unbleached flour
1 tsp. salt
¾ c. shortening (e.g. Crisco)
¼ c. cold water |
Stir together flour and salt in large bowl. Using pastry blender, cut shortening into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle with 2 T. of water and mix with a fork until dough starts to hold together. Sprinkle remaining water over dry parts and mix until all flour is incorporated into dough. Shape into ball. Divide in two, reshape the halves into balls and wrap in plastic wrap until ready to roll out. Unlike bread dough, pie crust does not benefit from extensive kneading and handling. |
The filling:
7 c. of sliced, peeled pie-suitable apples (about 2 1/3 lbs. of apples) (Twenty Ounce and Crispins make a terrific pie)
1 c. granulated sugar
1 T. unbleached flour
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. allspice
1 ½ T. margarine |
Peel, core and slice apples 6 mm. thick. (I quarter them and run them through my food processor with a slicing disc. When the container of my Cuisinart DLC7 is full, I have exactly enough apples for a single pie.) Mix apples, sugar, flour and spices together thoroughly in large bowl. |
Assembly and baking:
Unwrap one ball of dough (choose the larger if you haven't divided quite equally) and roll out into a 12 ½" diameter circle on a lightly floured or non-stick surface: start by flattening the dough ball into a round disc, then roll from the center outward in all directions. Whenever the edge starts to split, round it together. If the dough starts to stick to the rolling pin, flour lightly and/or turn the dough over and continue rolling. Once it is the desired size (at least one inch extends on all sides of the overturned pie plate), loosen with a dough scraper and fold in half, then in half again, giving you a quarter circle shape. Gently place the point of the quarter circle in the middle of the pie plate and unfold. (It's also possible to roll the pie crust up on the rolling pin to transfer, but that's easier demonstrated than described.) |
Pour / spoon the prepared apple mixture into the pie crust and dot with small pieces of margarine (total 1 ½ tsp.). Roll out the top crust in the same manner as the bottom crust, except that you may wish to simply fold in half. Place the folded top crust over half the pie and unfold. Trim edges of overhanging bottom and top crusts to 1" if necessary and seal top and bottom crusts together around edge of pie by crimping or folding. Cut four or five steam vents in top crust.
Pie is now ready to be baked in preheated oven at 425 degrees until crust is brown, juices are bubbling at the center vents of the pie and apples are soft – about 50 to 60 minutes. If edges are browning faster than center, cover edges with strips of aluminum foil until center is done. Place a cookie sheet beneath the pie to protect your oven from drips.
If you have frozen your pie, do not defrost before baking. Place in 425 degree oven and bake until done (see above). This will take about 90 minutes. |