Apple Pie

Use Cortland apples if you like your pieces to hold their shape, if you prefer more of an applesauce filling, use Macintosh. Preheat oven to 425ºF.

Ingredients

For the Crust:

2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
¾ cup solid vegetable shortening
5 Tbsp. ice water (more or less)

For the Filling:

7 cups apples, peeled, cored and sliced (about 2 lbs.)
½ to 1 cup sugar
¼ tsp. nutmeg
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine

Method

For the Crust:

Using a fork, stir the flour and salt together. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles very course cornmeal. Stir in the ice water with a fork, a tablespoon at a time, until the pastry holds together. Press into a ball. Chill for 30 minutes. Divide the dough in half and roll out on a lightly floured surface, making the bottom crust slightly thicker than the top. Fit the bottom pastry loosely into a pie plate and trim the edges almost even with the rim. Set the top crust aside.

For the Filling:

Mix the apples, sugar and spices. Spoon into the bottom pie shell. Cut the butter into small pieces and dot the mixture. Cover the pie with the top crust, sealing carefully. Cut steam vents. Bake at 425ºF for about 50 minutes or until the crust is brown and the apples soft.