Coffee and Dessert - Apple Pie

Although I follow my Betty Crocker Apple Pie recipe, like many people I adjust ingredients to make it my own. I find that most recipes call for far too few apples, and not enough spices to give it the flavor I love. I have been using this apple pie recipe for years and always have great results. If you like a pie with plenty of apples and spice, make it with the adjusted ingredients (marked with a *).

Bon Appetit!

Apple Pie

Pastry for 9-inch two-crust pie (make your own - see recipe below - or use a refrigerated pie crust)

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (*1 teaspoon)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (*1 teaspoon)

*I also add 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice

dash of salt

6 cups pared and sliced tart apples (*I use 8-10 cups of McIntosh for fuller pie)

2 tablespoons butter

1. Heat oven to 425℉. Prepare the pastry.
2. Mix sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, apple pie spice and salt. Stir in apples.
3. Turn into pastry-lined pie plate, dot with margarine.
4. Cover with top crust, seal and flute. Put slits in the top of the crust. Cover edges of the crust with a pie crust shield or strip of foil; remove during last 15 minutes of baking.
5. Bake until crust is brown, and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust, 40 to 50 minutes.

Standard Pastry Recipe

2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

4 to 5 tablespoons cold water

1. Cut shortening into flour and salt until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons water can be added if necessary).
2. Gather pastry into a ball; cut in half and shape into flattened rounds on lightly floured board.  
3. Roll pastry 2 inches larger than inverted pie plate with rolling pin. Fold pastry into quarters; unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side.