Apple Pie with Leaf Crust

Baked an apple pie for our

Thanksgiving dessert.

Decorate with handcut leaves.

Ready for the oven.

Just out of the oven.  

Cooling on a wire rack.

 All butter crust.

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PRINT APPLE PIE RECIPE

Basic Apple Pie
===============
5 or 6 apples
juice of half a lemon
1/2 cup of white sugar
1/2 cup of brown sugar
cinnamon to taste
2 tablespoons flour (more if the apples are very juicy, less if
not)
1 tablespoon butter
double pie crust


Heat oven to 425°F.

Peel and slice the apples. Squeeze half a lemon over slices and
toss to coat. Add the sugars, flour and cinnamon and toss again.

Roll out bottom crust and line pie plate. Add apples, dot with 1
tablespoon of butter and cover with second crust. Decorate with
leftover pastry. Make sure to cut a couple of vent holes.


Place pie on bottom rack. Bake for 15 minutes. This helps to cook
the bottom crust.

Reduce heat to 375°F, and raise the pie to the middle rack. Bake
for 40 to 50 minutes. If the crust is browning too quickly, you
can cover loosely with a piece of foil.

Butter Lard Pastry Crust

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup lard (or shortening- Crisco)
5 to 6 tablespoons of ice water, or more as needed
pinch of baking powder Optional (something that my grandmother always did)

NOTE:  Or use all Butter

(NOTE: if using for a sweet pie, add 1 or 2 teaspoons of sugar.)

Mix flour with salt, pinch of baking powder,  and cut in butter and lard.  I use a box grater to grate the butter.

Or you can use a food processor or a pastry blender to cut in the butter/lard.   

Add water,  mixing with a fork until pastry comes together. Tip out on to a floured board.  Quickly  pat out (or roll with pin)  and fold, like a letter, roll and fold three or four times to form layers.   Cut in half and pat each half into a flat disk.  Refrigerate for an hour before using.

The secret to a good crust is to not over-handle the dough.