i finally gave in...

call me un-american, but i am no fan of apple pie... there i said it... should i be shipped off to canada for my disloyalty... well, as long as you guys don't turn me in i think i'll be alright... it's not that i hate apple pie, it's just not something i crave... now, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, even chocolate cream pie that's a whole other story... i guess i'm just not a fan of baked fruit... for me, fruit should be fresh, cold and crisp... well i guess that's not totally the truth... i'm a sucker for strawberry pie, and banana cream pie...

but anyways, back to apple pie...

my hubs has been asking me to bake a apple pie for months, and i mean MONTHS... but i admit that i just kind of used my "selective hearing" when it came to this subject... but there was nothing i could do when he bought home some apples, unsalted butter and shortening... i couldn't say no then...

so... if i was going to make apple pie, i was going to make it right... maybe then it would satisfy the hubbys craving and i wouldn't have to bake one again for a loooong time... so i went with dorie greenspans recipe for both the crust and the pie... and the results... flaky, buttery, spicy, gooey and well... pretty darn good...

now if you wondering if i have a new found fondness for apple pie... well... kinda...

maybe it's because it was really tasty, or maybe it's because i made it from scratch and i had a new appreciation for its simplicity yet complexity... i don't know... but i guess i could be up to making this again...

crust ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup non-hydrogenated solid vegetable shortening, cut into 4 pieces, frozen
6 tbsp (or more) ice water
filling:
2 1/4 pounds assorted apples (such as Pink Lady, Pippin, and Golden Delicious), peeled, quartered, cored, cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
1/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 tbsp quick-cooking tapioca
1 1/2 tsp (packed) finely grated lemon peel
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tbsp graham cracker crumbs or white bread crumbs
2 tbsp (1/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tbsp milk (for glaze)
raw sugar

directions for the crust:
1. blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor

2. add butter and shortening; cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal

3. add 6 tablespoons ice water and blend just until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry

4. gather dough into ball, divide dough in half and flatten each half into disk.

5. wrap in plastic and chill at least 3 hours.

6. butter 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish

7. roll out 1 dough disk on lightly floured work surface to 12- to 13-inch round and transfer dough to prepared pie dish and press dough onto bottom and up sides of dish, allowing overhang to extend over sides about 1 inch

8. roll out second dough disk between sheets of parchment paper or waxed paper to 12- to 13-inch round; transfer dough to baking sheet

9. refrigerate both crusts while preparing filling

directions for the filling:
1. position rack in center of oven and preheat to 425°F

2. combine all apple wedges, 1/3 cup sugar, quick-cooking tapioca, grated lemon peel, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and nutmeg in large bowl; toss to blend

3. let stand at room temperature until some juices form, tossing occasionally, about 15 minutes
4. place crust-lined pie dish on rimmed baking sheet

5. sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over bottom of crust and transfer apple filling to crust, mounding filling slightly in center

6. dot filling with butter cubes

7. brush crust edges lightly with water

8. remove top parchment sheet from second dough round, invert dough round atop filling; remove second parchment sheet

9. trim dough overhang on both crusts to 1/2 inch, press crust edges together, then fold under.

10. using tines of fork, press on crust edge around rim of dish to seal decoratively, using small sharp knife, cut six 1-inch slits in top crust, then cut out 1/2-inch circle from center of top crust to allow steam to escape 11. brush top crust lightly with milk, then sprinkle with raw sugar
11. bake pie 15 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 375°F and continue to bake pie another 50-60 minutes, or until crust is golden, apples are tender when pierced, and juices are bubbling thickly through slits in crust, covering crust edges with foil collar if crust is browning too quickly

12. transfer pie to rack and cool to lukewarm or room temperature

happy baking everyone!