Apple Pie

This is the best homemade apple pie recipe, and it is made with very basic ingredients. I have been making it for many years, decades really. Over the years I have learned different technics that have really helped make it a wonderful pie, a perfect apple pie. Often times my family will want it on holidays and even as a birthday pie.

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Apples, Apple Pie, Pie

Prep Time: 1

Cook Time: 1

Dough Chilling Time: 2

Total Time: 4

Servings: servings

Calories: 501kcal

Equipment

1 Deep Dish Pie Plate
2 Large Bowls
2 Small Bowls
1 Rolling Pin
1 Knife or Scissors
1 Pie shield or Aluminum Foil
1 Pastry Cutter, Fork, or Food Processor
1 Peeler or paring knife
1 Baking sheet

Ingredients

¼ tsp Salt
½ cup Hot water Not boiling
1 cup Lard or shortening
2 cups Flour
6 each Granny Smith Apples
1 cup Sugar
2 tbsp Flour
1 tsp Cinnamon
¼ tsp Nutmeg
4 tbsp Butter
¼ tsp Cinnamon
1 tbsp Sugar

Instructions

In a large bowl or in the food processor put in 2 cups of flour and the lard/shortening.
In a small bowl, dissolve the salt in the hot water. Add to the flour and lard/shortening.
You can either use a pastry cutter, fork or a food processor to mix the pie crust ingredients until fully mixed together. The dough will be sticky.
Using your hands divide the dough into 2 dough balls. Place in the refrigerator to chill for about 2 hours or overnight.
To roll out the dough flour the work surface, flour the rolling pin, and your hands. Put some flour on the dough ball and flatten it with your hands and begin rolling. Continue to flour your surface, the rolling pin, and the dough to prevent sticking. Roll out the dough until it is large enough to fit your pie plate with about a half inch or more hanging over the pie plate edge.
To lift your pie crust to place it in your pie plate, gently roll it onto your rolling pin, move it over the pie plate, center it, and unroll the pie crust from the rolling pin placing it where it needs to be in the pie plate as you unroll it.
Roll out the top crust, but do not lift it yet. Let it stay on your work surface until the filling is in place.
Peel, core, and slice apples to about 1/4 inch in thickness and put into a large mixing bowl.
Add sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix coating all of the apple slices.
Place the apple mixture into the pie plate onto of the bottom crust.
Cut the 4 tbsp of butter into 8 pieces and dot on top of the apples.
To lift your top pie crust, gently roll it onto your rolling pin, move it over the pie filling centering it, and unroll the pie crust from the rolling pin placing it over the filling as you unroll it.
Cut the edges of the pie crust to be as wide as the edge of the pie plate. The crust should not be wider than your pie plate. Using your fingers or a fork, crimp the edges of the pie crust together pinching them to prevent them from separating and shrinking during baking.
Cut vent holes in the top crust.
In a small bowl mix together some 1/4 tsp cinnamon and 1 tbsp sugar.
Using your fingers lightly brush the top crust with water. The crust should be lightly damp. The water is to make the cinnamon and sugar hold. Then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
Using aluminum foil or a pie crust shield, cover the crust edges. If using foil tear foil into three pieces that are 1-2 inched long. Fold it lightly over the crimped crust. This prevents the crust edges from burning but allows the top crust to get a beautiful golden brown during baking.
Place a sheet of foil in the oven or put your pie plate on a baking sheet. This prevents the pie from cooking over into the oven.
Bake for 50 minutes or until the top crust is golden. Remove the foil or pie shield from the crust and bake another 10 minutes or until the crimped edges are golden.
Remove from the even and cool before serving. If it is warm when serving the filling will be runny. As it cools the filling sets up.
Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping. Maybe a caramel drizzle and chopped pecans too.

Notes

Nutritional information is an estimate. It will vary based the brands of ingredients used and on your cooking methods.

Nutrition