About this Recipe

Homemade recipes for desserts are always going to be winners in any household. One of the best family recipes we can share with you is my Aunty Donna's apple pie recipe. Her partner in life LOVES apple pie. Dessert recipes like this one are always requested and a favorite thing is to eat the apple pie at breakfast time. We can all bake a pretty good pie in our family but hands down Aunty Donna's apple pies are always the the deepest, most delicious, with most juicy apple inside filling PLUS have the perfect texture crust you could dream for! Her apple pies are made with love and are often the reward for a special task done or just to make you feel happy. At one time she and my Grandmother had a health food restaurant called Donna B's....They did all the cooking and baking from scratch. The pies were often sold out before they were even baked. They were pretty famous for their homemade pies. All the pies were made from scratch and apples were bought in bulk from local orchards so they would have lots on hand to supply their appreciative customers. It was not uncommon for the two of them to be out picking the blackberries or raspberries the evening before opening their restaurant so they could make one of their specialty fruit pies.

Grandmother's Tips for Double Crust Apple Pie:

1. Using cold butter is what makes pastry crust more flaky. You can use a pastry cutter or grated cold butter.

2. Using very cold water helps the dough to hold its shape. It also keeps the butter cold longer and that helps in getting a flaky crust.

3. If you dough is falling apart rolling it, likely it is too dry so just sprinkle a little bit of cold water and work the water in with your fingertips to get to a less dry texture.

4. Refrigerating the dough also makes it easier to roll out.

5. A tough pie crust can indicate too much water. Be patient when learning to make pie crust. You will quickly learn when your pie dough 'feels' right.

6. The reason some recipes want you to chill a pie crust before putting in the filler, is so that the butter in the crust is firm when it goes into the oven for baking and it makes for a flaky crust.

7. Let the dough chill in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before rolling out.

8. Choose a good pie apple. Some of the best for baking apple pies are Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, and Spartans.

9. If the pie is browning too much when you are baking it, tent with aluminum foil.

10. The pie will be very runny if you cut while hot, give it time to cool down to room temperature before cutting.

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Ingredients

(Print)

Makes(2)9" Pie Crusts

Crust

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup cold butter

4-5 Tablespoons cold water

Apple Filling

8-10 apples ( Spartans and/or Golden Delicious)

2 Tablespoons lemon juice or juice of 1/2 lemon

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 Tablespoon all purpose flour

1 1/2 Tablespoons butter

Directions

Filling:

1. Quarter, peel, core and slice the apples thinly.

2. Put them into a large bowl, pour on the lemon juice and use a spatula to stir into the apples. This will help to keep them from browning.

3. In a small mixing container stir together the dry ingredients. Using a spatula, stir this mixture into the prepared chopped apples.

4. Break the butter into small bits and mix into the apple pie mixture as little chunks. The butter will melt and add flavor to this delicious pie filling.

Directions

Crust:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Begin by placing the water in the freezer to cool for about 10 minutes.

3. To make a pie crust you will need a clean, flat counter top. You can also use a silicone baking mat.To know exactly what size to roll your crust, just be sure that it is slightly bigger than your pie plate.

4. Sift the flour into bowl and stir together with the salt.

5. Cut in butter using a pastry cutter. You can also use two butter knives if you don't have a pastry cutter. Continue to cut working the mixture until it resembles the texture of coarse cornmeal. Now, use a fork to mix in the cold water until it is just incorporated. Its okay if you see little specks of butter and flour and the dough is not smooth.

6. Use clean hands to work the dough together to form a ball.

7. Cut the ball into two pieces and store one in a bowl with a cloth over top so it does not dry out. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

8. Sprinkle your working surface with a bit of flour.Keep the flour nearby in case your dough gets sticky you can add more on top of the dough and also on your rolling pin.

9. Flatten your ball down into a disc.Use your rolling pin to roll out dough. Push from the center and roll evenly to the edges. Keep rolling and try to make a circle. If it is not perfect, it won't matter. Don't overwork the crust.

10. Gently transfer the dough into your pie plate being careful not to stretch it.

11. Roll out the second piece of dough according to the same instructions and be sure that it is bigger than your pie plate.

12. Pour the prepared apple filling into the pie crust.

13. Top with the 2nd pie crust.

14. Pinch the edges together to seal in the filling.

15. Use a knife to cut a few slices into the pie crust lid, or you could poke with a fork.

16. Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees F. then turn down heat to 350 degrees F. for another for 30 minutes or until golden brown. If the pie is browning too much, tent with aluminum foil.

17. Once baked, remove from oven and put onto a cooling rack to cool to room temperature.

Delicious served with whipping cream or ice cream!

ENJOY!

Return to this Double Crust Apple Pie recipe or check out more recipes at Grandmother's Kitchen

Fresh from the oven and then cooled to the perfect room temperature, not too much compares with a good apple pie fresh from the oven. Apple pie tastes perfect on it's own but you can also embelish the flavor with a slice of cheese, some freshly homemade whipped cream or even vanilla ice cream.

Having the crust come out with a nice flaky texture is one of the things a home cook looks for when making a good apple pie. The best results usually involves some butter and some good quality ingredients. Choosing the best variety of apples for your simple apple desserts and dessert recipes will make a big difference in the texture of the filling. Choosing a good baking apple will bake the best. Different apple varieties work better for different things. Apples are a fruit that are perfect on their own, but the following are some of the best apple varieties you might choose for baking.

The best apple varieties for baking are good at keeping their structure and the apple slices of fruit don't just turn to mush after baking in the oven. Granny Smith apples are an apple that works well in most any simple apple desserts. Jonagold apples are tart and have nice sweetness to them. Jonagold apples hold up well when baked or cooked in recipes. Braeburn apples hold a juiciness and don't go mushy. They are a crisp apple variety. Honeycrisp apples, one of my favorites in flavor, have a crisp texture that holds firm when baked. Pink Lady apples are also good apples to use in your simple apple desserts and the Winesap apple ranks as a good choice as a dessert apple as well.

Depending where you live, different varieties will appear on your grocery shelves. For those that are lucky enough to live in apple growing areas, you can even get your apples direct from the growers. Some local farmers will even allow you to come and pick up the windfalls that are on the ground for very reasonable prices and sometimes for free. If you have a good cold, dark storage area, many apple varieties will keep for months.