Double Crust – Nuts About Apple Pie

Recipe by Cheryl Bater, Dublin, Ohio
First place, Baked Pies (Apple) 2017

Baking temperature: 400, 375 degrees
Baking time: 15 minutes, 40-50 minutes
Yield: One 9-inch pie

Ingredients

Filling:

• 7 c peeled, cored and sliced Granny Smith and Braeburn apples
• ½ c packed light brown sugar
• 1 T lemon juice
• 2 T granulated sugar
• 1 ½ T clear gel
• ½ t ground cinnamon
• ½ t vanilla extract
• Seeds scraped from ½ vanilla bean pod
• 1 ½ T apple butter
• 1/3 c chopped pecans
• 1 ½ T unsalted butter cut into pieces

Crust:

• 2 ½ c flour
• ½ c unsalted butter
• ½ c Leaf lard
• ¾ t salt
• 6 T water
• 1 T vodka
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• Egg white to brush on bottom crust
• 1 egg and 1 T milk to brush on top crust
• Sanding sugar to sprinkle on top of crust

Instructions

• Combine apples, brown sugar and lemon juice. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes to juice.
• In a small bowl, mix granulated sugar, clear gel, cinnamon, and vanillas
• Combine with apples, mix well
• Add apple butter and pecans
• Brush bottom crust with egg white
• Scrape filling into chilled pie shell. Dot with butter and cover with top crust
• Brush top crust with egg and whipping cream mixture, then dust with sanding sugar
• Cover crust with pie shield
• Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 and bake for 40-50 minutes until filling is thick and bubbly
• Combine flour, sugar, salt in large mixing bowl
• With pastry blender, cut butter and lard into dry ingredients until pieces are pea-sized or slightly smaller
• In small bowl, whisk egg yolk, vodka and ice water
• Add egg-water mixture to dry ingredients tossing with a pastry fork to blend
• Form into two dough discs- 2/3 dough and 1/3 dough
• Wrap in wax paper and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour

To prepare pie shell:

• On floured surface, roll out larger disc of dough into 10-inch circle
• Transfer dough to pie pan, trim edges and chill
• Roll out 1/3 portion disc into 10-inch circle. Cut decorative cut outs as desired
• Turn filling into chilled pie shell and smooth the fruit with a spoon
• Dot the top with butter. Lightly moisten the rim of pie shell
• Invert the top pastry center of the filling
• Press the top and bottom pastries together along dampened edge
• Trim the pastry, leaving an even ½ inch overhang all around, then sculpt
• Poke several steam vents, brush crust with egg/milk mixture then sprinkle with sanding sugar