Apple Pie With an Incredibly Easy Flaky Pie Crust

I have always love my mother's apple pie.  No matter what other pies I taste, her apple pie is still my favorite.  I got her recipe a few years ago and discovered that it's not just the pie filling that makes her pies so great; it's her crust too!

I have found this pie crust recipe to be so easy to mix up and so delicious for a variety of dishes.  It makes 6 crusts at a time so it's enough for three full pies; plus it freezes beautifully so I can make up a big batch and they last for quite some time.

My favorite apple pie is made with Cortland apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour and butter. The apples cook up perfectly and I find that it has just the right texture and taste.  Though, I rarely have a pie that looks beautiful at the end it sure does taste exceptionally good!

But now onto the crust!

For the crust you will need:

4 cups flour
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups shortening
1 Tbsp white vinegar (though I do use apple cider vinegar when making apple pie crust)
1/2 cup water

Mix flour, sugar, and salt with a fork.  Add shortening and mix until crumbly.  I usually use my stand mixer with the paddle.

Beat egg,  water, and vinegar gently with a fork and then add to dry ingredients and stir.  It will start to clump together. 

Divide dough into 6 portions, shape into balls and then refrigerate for 1/2 an hour before using.  I often wrap the balls in plastic wrap and then place all 6 inside a gallon size freezer bag.  Then I store in the freezer. 

Once I had my pie crusts all made and my dough had chilled sufficiently, I turned to making my pies.  I often make 3-4 at a time and freeze them for the holidays.  

To make the apple pies you will need:

6 cups Cortland apples

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

pinch of salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

2 Tbsp butter

2 pie crusts

I first start by rolling out one of the pie crusts using a pie mat, flour and a rolling pin. 

My boys take turns peeling all of the apples and we find our apple peeler from Pampered Chef works the best because it also slices the apples for us.  Otherwise we'd be sure to slice them nice and thin.
Once we have 6 cups in a large glass bowl we mix in the sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

We pile all of the apples into the pie pan (and often have to press down to fill in any holes).  We dice the 2 tablespoons of butter into small chunks and dot the top of the apples with the butter.  I then roll out the second pie crust and place it over the top of the pie rolling up the edges and pinching them together. 

I prick the pie crust with a fork for venting and cover just the edges of the pie with tin foil. I set the pie pan on a baking sheet in case the pie bubbles over or leaks. Then I bake the pie at 425 for 30 minutes.  

I remove the foil from the edges of the pie and then bake for an additional 15 minutes until the crust is a night light golden brown all over. 

We let it cool and then we always cut one up and enjoy it with some nice cold, ice cream! 

YUM! 

Here is another copy of both recipes for easier printing:

Pie Crust:

4 cups flour
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups shortening
1 Tbsp vinegar
1/2 cup water

1.  Mix flour, sugar and salt together then add shortening.  Mix until crumbly.
2.  Beat egg, water and vinegar with fork.  Add to dry ingredients and mix until crust forms a ball.
3.  Divide dough into 6 portions, wrap and chill for 1/2 hour.

Apple Pie:

6 cups Cortland apples
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
pinch of salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
2 Tbsp butter
2 Pie crusts (one for top and one for bottom)

1.  Peel and slice 6 cups of apples.
2.  Mix all dry ingredients together and combine with apples.
3.  Roll out pie crust and place in bottom of a 9" pie pan.
4.  Pour apple mixture into prepared pan.  Cut up butter into chunks and place chunks on top of apples.
5.  Top pie with another layer of crust.  Pinch edges together and prick with fork.
6.  Cover edges of pie with foil and place on cookie sheet.  Bake at 425 for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes until the crust is a uniform light brown color.
7.  Remove from oven and let cool 30 minutes before serving.


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