Apple Pie

Apple pie is the quintessential American dessert. Sliced apples, flavored with sugar and spices, are tucked between layers of flaky pastry and baked until tender and juicy. For this recipe, we'll use prepared pie crusts you'll find in the refrigerated section of the supermarket. They are excellent quality and are a bit sturdier than homemade crusts, so work well when making a lattice top.

A lattice top is fun to make and not as hard as you'd think! Read through the lattice top crust instructions carefully and try to visualize the steps. (If you're unsure, make the 'fake' lattice crust described in the article.)

Now let's talk about the apples. There are some apple varieties that are best for baking: they include Granny Smith, MacIntosh, Rome Beauty, Winesap, Cortlandt, Haralson, and Golden Delicious. These fruits hold their shape well even when cooked, and are tart, so the pie has a balanced flavor.

Try your hand at this pie soon and consider some of my other recent recipes, too:

• Peanut Butter Coffee Cake
• Lemon Meringue Pie
• Pecan Bars

Nothing makes your house smell as wonderful as fresh baking!

Lattice Top Apple Pie

• 1 package two-crust pie dough
• 6 cups peeled, sliced apples
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. flour
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp. water
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Let crusts stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to soften slightly. Line a 9" pie pan with one of the crusts, gently pressing the crust into the bottom of the pan, letting about 1" hang over the edges.

Peel and slice 6-8 apples to make 6 cups. Place in large bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice; toss apples gently to coat. In small bowl, combine flour, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 3/4 cup sugar, salt, and nutmeg and stir well. Sprinkle over apples; gently toss to coat.

Pour apples and sugar mixture into the pie shell, mounding the apples higher in the center. Cut butter into tiny pieces and sprinkle over the apples.

Cut remaining crust into 1/2" strips and make a lattice top, or simply place the crust on top of the apples. Fold edges together and flute them with your fingers or a fork. In a small bowl, beat egg with water and gently brush over the crust. If you used a whole top crust, cut several small slits in the crust to let steam escape as it bakes. In another small bowl, combine 2 Tbsp. sugar and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon; sprinkle over top of pie.

Bake pie at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for 35-45 minutes longer, until apples are tender when pierced with a fork, juices are bubbling in the center of the pie, and the pie crust is golden brown. Let cool for at least one hour, then serve. Serves 8

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