“Better than Your Mama’s Apple Pie!”
Submitted by Will Reed
Crust:
2 1/2 cups All-purpose Flour
1 ¼ tsp. salt
3/4 cup vegetable shortening, chilled and divided into smaller portions
7-9 Tbs. ice cold water
Apples:
8 Green or Golden variety of apples, Peeled, cored and slivered at about 1/4 inch
1-2 Tbs. Lemon juice
Sauce:
½ C. (1 Stick) of butter
3 Tbs. of Flour
1/4 Cup Water
*1 Tbs. pure vanilla extract (make sure to extract water if adding the vanilla)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 packed brown sugar
¾ tsp each: Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and All-Spice
Instructions:
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Drop in the chilled shortening, and with a butter knife, cut it in until the mixture looks like bread crumbs (this will take a minute). Sprinkle about 7 Tbs. cold water onto the mixture and stir with a wooden spoon; the flour will begin to clump up. Add a T more water at a time from this point as to not make the dough too soggy. Form the dough into a single ball and divide into two even portions. Wrap independently with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 days (perfect to make ahead if needed.).
While your dough is chilling, it’s time to prepare your apples. Peel, core and slice into ¼ inch pieces; cover with 1-2 T of Lemon Juice to prevent browning, set aside. Dust a little flour evenly in the bottom and up the sides of your 9 inch pie pan (I like the result
of glass or ceramic pan). Once dough is chilled, on a liberally floured surface, take one of the dough balls out from chilling, and with a rolling pin from the middle turning after every stroke, roll to 1/8-1/4 in. thick that is about 12-13 inches in diameter. If dough starts to stick a little, add more flour underneath. Roll dough backward on your rolling pin and place on top of your pie pan and from the outside push the edges into the corners of the pan. There will be a little overhang, but don’t worry about that for now. . .
Remove second dough ball from the refrigerator and roll out in the same method, but in a square to about 12-13 inches. With a pastry/pizza cutter, cut the dough into 1 inch strips. The wider the strips, the less complicated the lattice. . . Pour your apples and any juices that have separated into pie plate already prepared with the bottom crust and begin to create a lattice top by placing the two strips in the middle in an “x.” Work one side at a time from one of the middle strips of dough. Until the lattice is complete, it’s a matter of making sure that each next strip is “over and under” the strips beside and in front of it. . .
Once your lattice is complete, pinch the edges of the bottom crust and end of strips together. Using a sharp knife, trim excess dough, and with tines of a fork, seal the dough all the way around the plate. Chill while you are making the sauce.
Preheat oven to 425 DegF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a heavy bottomed sauce pot, melt the butter; with a wooden spoon, stir in 3 Tbs. of flour to thicken for about a minute, then add water and vanilla. Add sugars and stir. Add spices. Stir continuously, bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for five minutes. Remove from heat. Place your prepared pie plate on the parchment lined baking sheet and drizzle sauce slowly over the lattice work being careful to allow through lattice into the apples.
Bake in 425 DegF oven or 15 minutes; reduce heat to 350 DegF and continue baking for 35-45 minutes until bubbles are peaking through the lattice work and crust is a nice golden brown.
Let cool for about an hour prior to serving warm, BUT this is “Better than your mama’s Apple Pie!” and can be served cold as well J!
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