I’ve been making this apple pie since my family Thanksgivings when I was young. I don’t know where we got the recipe for the filling, topping, or crust, but it is always the favorite dessert on the table once the turkey and stuffing has been enjoyed. Compared to our no-bake recipes and quick cocktails, this one takes some time and dedication to prepare, so let’s jump right in:

Ingredients

Crust

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup shortening – cold
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6-8 tablespoons cold water

Filling

• 6-8 tart apples
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Dash of salt

Topping

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter

Directions – Crust

1. *I Recommend doing this step the day before you bake the pie
2. Stir together flour and salt in a large bowl.
3. Add in cold shortening and cut with pastry cutter or fork. Do this until the mixture is coarse, pea sized crumbles.
4. Pour 3-4 tablespoons of the cold water into the bowl, and stir with a fork until it is mixed in. Continue adding cold water in 1 tablespoon increments until the dough stays together when molded. Only use as much water as needed, you can always add more but can’t remove it once its been added!
5. Roll the dough into a ball, and mold the dough into a 1-inch-thick disc.
6. Wrap each individual dough ball in plastic wrap, and let it chill for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator (I recommend leaving it overnight, but no longer than 2 days).
7. When it’s time to place the crust in the pie dish, remove from refrigerator, and roll on a lightly floured surface to the correct circumference. (work the dough as lightly/minimally as possible, if you have to add a table spoon or two of cold water to roll it out, that’s ok).
8. Move on to preparing the filling and topping

Directions – Filling

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF
2. Peel, slice, and core the apples – I like to slice thin half circles.
3. In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice, then combine sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt to the apples. Stir. We’ve learned to do this step right before you plan put the pie in the oven. Once the lemon juice is mixed in with the apples, the mixture can get soggy if it sits too long.
4. Add the filling over the crust in the pie dish.

Directions – Topping and Final Steps

1. Combine flour, sugar, and butter in a bowl, use pastry cutter to make a crumbly, coarse mixture (butter should be about pea sized).
2. Sprinkle on the topping. Spread evenly from the center out to the edges.
3. Place pie in the oven at 400ºF and bake for 50-60 minutes.

Final Steps, Tips, & Tricks

1. Check on the pie after 20 minutes – you may want to cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil at this point to help prevent the top from burning while the inside continues to cook.
2. The homemade crust is our favorite, but a store bought crust works in a pinch. Making the crust and rolling it out can be the most difficult part, so be patient!
3. You will know it’s finished when you see the filling bubbling from under the crumble topping