This makes a double batch. You can freeze half (divide it into two before
freezing so you're ready to roll out the top and bottom crust.)
You can use all shortening (for maximum flakiness) or all butter (for maximum
flavor and crispiness.)
Pie Crust Ingredients
24 oz all purpose or pastry flour (1 lb 8 oz, or 5 1/4 cups)
1/2 tablespoon salt
2 sticks cold unsalted butter
1 cup cold shortening
1 cup ice water
Pie Crust Directions:
Mix the flour and salt.
Cut the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs.
Cut the shortening into the flour too. The crumbs will be a little bigger.
Slowly add the ice water, stirring as you go and making sure to distribute
it as evenly as possible.
Form the dough into four small balls and chill.
Roll one ball out for the bottom crust.
Add the filling.
Roll the second ball out for the top crust. Crimp and cut vents.
Pie Filling
This makes a single batch.
Ingredients:
6 cups sliced apples, using a mix of sweet and tart
(3 granny smiths and 2 fujis turned out fantastic)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar (Some people use 1 c total sugar, but you only need that if you are using a lot of sour fruit or a lot of lemon juice. For apples it's easy to just add some sweet apples.)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (ground)
a little ground ginger
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
a little flour (up to 3 tablespoons, but I think I only used about 1 T)
Directions:
Slice the apples fairly small
Mix everything, starting with using only 1 tablespoon of flour. The flour soaks up the extra liquid, so if the mix is very dry, you can add a little extra lemon juice, and if it's very wet, you can add a little extra flour.
Preheat the oven to 400*C.
Form the pie (see above.)
Bake for 15 min at 400*C
Reduce heat to 350*C and bake another 45 min.
Turn off the oven and let the pie sit for another 30 min or so. (This step is optional, but it helps the interior cook without overheating burning the crust, so it's all nice and soft without the fruit being too mushy or the crust burned.)