Apple Pie

'Tis the season for apple picking.  I went this morning with my Mom and one of my sisters.  We picked three big bags of Cortland apples, and spent the rest of the morning/early afternoon making apple pies and crisps. 

Here's my Dad's recipe for the perfect homemade crust:

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
7 tablespoons shortening
6 tablespoons of ice cold water (MUST be very cold)

Instructions:

Mix flour and shortening thoroughly.  Add the cold water.  Stir, and then roll your dough into a ball.  Cut in half.  This makes you a top and bottom crust.  Roll it out with a rolling pin and make sure the crust is an even thickness.

And here's the recipe for making the pie filling:

Ingredients:

5 apples
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions:

Peel the apples.  Chop into manageable pieces.  In a bowl, mix the apples with the sugar, flour, and cinnamon until all apple pieces are coated.

Once your bottom crust is pressed into the pie tan, poke a few holes into it with a fork.  Add your apple mixture.  Place your top crust, and pinch all the edges of the bottom and top together.  Then, poke a few more holes into the top crust.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.  The pie is done when the crust is golden brown. 

Enjoy!

There I am in the apple orchard!