Apple pie recipe!

This is not your typical apple pie recipe. This includes a flaky, melt-in-your-mouth double crust and tangy chunky apple-lemon filling! Saints be praised, it's absolutely amazing!  It's mind-boggling how delicious it is! And trust me, I have sampled many variations of apple pie, and this is far and above the best!

Now, something this good takes some time to make.

First thing, plan on starting it ONE DAY BEFORE by freezing 10Tbsp of butter! Yes, put it in the freezer! Freezing butter will allow you to GRATE it with a grater. This will allow equal distribution of butter, which will give you that beautiful flakiness so coveted in pastries.

Here is the recipe for the crust.
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9-10 inches flaky pie double crust for any pie

10 Tbsp frozen butter, frozen overnight
10 Tbsp cold shortening
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
8-10 Tbsp cold water

1. Mix the flour, salt, and sugar together.

2. Break the shortening into small pieces and cut these into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter.

3. Grate the frozen butter and fold gently into flour mixture.

4. After all of this is mixed together, it will be very crumbly! Add the water a bit at a time and mix it into the flour  mixture until it is slightly wet and sticky.

5. Refrigerate this for about one hour.

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Pie filling

4 tart apples, cored and chopped OR cored and sliced (pink lady, jazz, honey crisp, or granny smith are excellent choices)
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp allspice
2 Tbsp flour

For the crust:

1 egg white, beaten
1 Tbsp sugar

1. Mix the sliced/chopped apples with the lemon juice to keep them from browning. Mix in the lemon zest.

2. In another bowl, stir the salt, 1/2 c sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, and 2 Tbsp flour. Combine these with the apples.

3. Remove your chilling pie crust. Divide the chilled dough in half. WITH A PREPARED (flour rubbed onto them) ROLLER STOCKINETTE AND PASTRY CLOTH, roll out the bottom crust about 1" beyond the diameter of the pie pan. IF THE DOUGH IS TOO STICKY, SPRINKLE WITH EXTRA FLOUR.

4. You can use food scissors to cut the dough into a lovely circle to fit your pie pan. :3

5. After the dough is rolled, fold it in half, and then again, so that it looks like a fat pizza slice. Transfer this to your pie pan and unfold it to line the pan.

6. Pour the pie filling into the dough-lined pan. Add a couple of pats of butter on top of the filling.

7. Repeating the rolling process with the flour rubbed stockinette and flour rubbed pastry cloth, make your top dough. Sprinkle on some flour if the dough is too sticky.

8. Unfold your top crust and pinch it to the bottom crust to seal them. Sealing the edges with water makes it easier. You can cut away excess dough and place these trips around the pie to bake into crust cookies.

9. Cut a few slits into the top crust.

10. Brush the top crust and any crust cookies with the beaten egg whites and sprinkle on the sugar. This makes the best sugar crackle crust!

11. Turn on the oven to 425F.

12. When it's heated, put your uncooked pie on a foil lined baking sheet. It's less of a mess! Slide the pie into the oven and bake for 25 minutes.

13. Reduce the heat to 375F and bake until the crust is golden and JUICE BUBBLES OUT FROM THE SLITS IN THE TOP CRUST. That's the best way to tell when a pie is cooked. This should take about 35-60 minutes.

14. When finished, remove the pie from the oven and let it cool for four hours.