By Jill Komm

It’s apple picking season and I can’t think of a better way to enjoy this fruit than a traditional apple pie.  I’ve had this recipe for over 15 years and am not sure where it originated from.  But two things are clear – it ALWAYS tastes delicious, and it is not for someone counting calories.

Best Ever Apple Pie

Ingredients
Pastry:
2 ½ cups flour
1 cup unsalted butter
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cold water

Filling:
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup maple sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
8 cups tart apples, peeled and sliced (I used 4 very large Honey Crisp apples.  You can try a combination of Honey Crisp and Granny Smith too)
2 tablespoons butter, cut in small pieces
¼ cup whipping cream
1-2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon raw/turbinado sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees

To make the pastry:
Process flour, butter, sugar and sat in a food processor a bit at a time until mixture resembles cornmeal.  Slowly add water until mixture forms a ball.  Divide dough into two parts.  Flatten each into a disk-like shape, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in fridge.

To make the filling:
Combine granulated sugar, maple sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg.  Pour over sliced apples and mix together well.

To assemble:
Lightly flour a clean surface and roll out one disk of dough.  You want to end up with a thickness of about 1/8 inch.  I use a deep 9 inch pie plate, so my dough needed to be about 12 inches in diameter.  Then lay your circle into the bottom of a pie plate.  Pour the filling on top of the crust.  Dot with the cut up butter pieces, and then carefully pour the cream over the top of the filling.

Roll out the other disk of dough and place on top of your filling.  Seal the edges of the two crusts with your fingers or a fork.  Poke some holes in the crust, or get fancy and cut out fun designs.  Brush the top crust with milk and sprinkle the raw sugar on top.

To bake:
Place your pie on a foil lined baking sheet (don’t skip this step or you will be cleaning your oven forever!)
Cover the edges of your pie with foil or use a Silicone shield (I use this one from Williams Sonoma).  Bake for 40 minutes.  Then remove foil/crust shield, and bake an additional 25-30 minutes more, until the filling is bubbly.