Apple Pie a la Andrew

“First you must create the universe.” –Carl Sagan

Crust

Ingredients: 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tbs salt, 1 tbs cinnamon, 3/4 cup shortening (butter), 6 tbs ice water

Sift the flour into a mixing bowl. Dry mix sugar, salt, cinnamon into the flour. Cut 1/2 cup shortening (or butter) into the mixture until shortening balls are pea sized. Add water. Mix well. Cut remaining 1/4 cup shortening (or butter) into mixture. Kneed. separate into two balls, one slightly larger than the other. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Pie Filling

Ingredients: 7 tennis ball sized apples, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 stick butter, 1 tbs cinnamon

Peel, core, and slice apples. Place everything in a non-stick pot. Put it on the stove on low heat. Stir occasionally. After 30 minutes, remove from heat and keep on a warmer on low, or let cool on the stove top.

Putting it together

Take the large ball of dough and roll it out on a floured marble counter or wooden baking board and place it into the pie pan. (Alternate Instructions: Do not fret if you can’t roll out your dough because it’s too sticky or too wet. Just take the large ball of dough and press it evenly, with your hands, into a NON-GREASED, glass or non-stick pie pan.)

Pour the warm, simmered, pie filling into the dough covered pan.

Take the smaller remaining dough ball and cut (or hand roll) into strips to weave over the top of the pie filling. Press ends of the strips into the dough on the pie pan — this is your crust, make it as thin or thick as you like. Optionally, if you can roll out your dough, feel free to roll out the top crust and cover if you so desire. Remember to vent the top.

Bake at 425ºF … until it’s done … when the edges turn brown.

Let it cool on the stove top or on a wire cooling rack. And leave a comment with how it turned out and any modifications you may have made.