OLD-FASHION CLASSIC APPLE PIE

What is more traditional to Americans than apple pie? With Summer, picnics, and our patriotic holiday of Memorial Day this month, I borrowed this traditional apple pie and pastry recipe from my old fashion recipe blog.

Pastry for a double-crust 9-inch pie:
2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup lard or solid vegetable shortening
5 to 7 tbsp ice water

In a large bowl, stir flour and salt together until blended. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut lard or shortening into flour mixture until the mixture becomes mealy.

Mix in ice water a little at a time with a fork, stirring until the mixture leaves sides of bowl and forms a ball. Finish shaping dough into a ball with your hands, cut in half with a knife to form two balls for the top and the bottom of the pan. On a lightly floured board, flatten one ball of dough and roll with a lightly floured rolling pin from center to edge in a circular fashion, making a 12-inch circle. Place pastry into a 9-inch pie pan, fitting gently and trimming off excess dough with sharp knife or scissors. Fill or bake according to recipe. Roll out remaining dough in the same manner to use as a top crust.

Pie Filling:
6 cups thinly sliced, peeled, tart cooking apples
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tbsp butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Slice apples into a large bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. Add sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg to apples; mix together well. Mix apples again with a large spoon then turn into pastry lined pie pan. Dot the surface with the butter or margarine. Place top pastry over pie and seal the edges well. Cut steam vents in center of the top crust or poke several times with a fork. Bake pie in a 425 degree oven for 45 - 55 minutes or until crust turns a golden brown and the filling starts to bubble up through the vents.