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Easy as apple pie. All American as apple pie.  My mother must be one of the founding mothers of this country’s all Americanism as she is probably the best apple pie maker in the entire country. Humble as she is she would definitely tah tah that statement. But, nonetheless, she is an incredible baker and pies are her specialty. She has the knack for an incredible, flaky crust that is light and tasty. Her apple mixture is also something that is very difficult to duplicate. She mostly uses Cortland apples which is a northeastern variety. It is a tart/sweet apple that is perfect for baking and eating. More important that the filling is the crust itself. Here is my mother’s recipe, which was her mother’s recipe, and now it is yours! Remember, making the perfect pie crust is an art. It takes practice, the correct tools, and then more practice.

Pie Crust-2 crusts
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup Crisco
1/3 + a little more ice water, the colder the better

1. Mix flour and salt together with a fork.
2. Add Crisco and cut in with a knife and fork.
3. Continue mixing with a pastry blender. Chop fine.
4. Pour water into flour mix. Start with 1/3 cup of the water. Mix and form a ball. It should stick together but not be too sticky (sticky sticky as Mom states )
5. Wrap the ball in waxed paper and refrigerate for 2 hours.
6.Divide the dough almost in half. The bottom crust should be slightly larger than the top crust. Roll out in a circle on a floured surface. Make sure that the crust is about a 1/4 inch larger than the pie plate. Place in the pie dish and trim so that the edge hangs evenly over the side about 1/4 inch. Brush milk on the outside edge.
7. Place the pie filling in the crust. (Recipe to follow)
8. Roll out the top crust. Fold in half to move, cut a few slits in the top. Place evenly on the top. Roll up the bottom crust and fold over the edge. Press the 2 edges together with either a fork or by crimping together with your fingers. (Look at picture)
9. Brush top with milk and sprinkle with sugar if desired.
10. Bake in a preheated 400* oven for 15 minutes. Lower temperature to 350* and continue baking for 45  minutes.

Single Pie Crust: Cut recipe in half

Single Pie Crust that needs to be baked before filling is added (such as for Lemon Meringue or a cream pie.)
Prepare half of above recipe. Fork stab the bottom a few times (good for getting out a few frustrations). Bake in a 350* oven for about 20 minutes.

Apple Pie Filling
8-10 apples depending on size
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
2/3 cup sugar (blend brown and white together for Mom’s special flavor)