For crust
2 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening, (chilled)
1/4 cup ice water

For filling
1 c sugar, plus 2 TBSP divided
use
4 T flour, divided use
2 t cinnamon
1 dash nutmeg
7 large Gravenstein or Gala apples, peeled
-and cored cut into medium-thin Slices
2 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup Milk
Extra sugar for top of pie!

For crust: Sift flour with salt. Using a pastry blender, add half
the shortening to the flour mixture and cut in until crumbly. Add
remaining shortening, cutting in until mixture looks like small peas.
Add 1 tablespoon ice water to flour mixture and mix. Repeat with
additional water until all flour is thoroughly moistened. Form into a
ball. Divide ball in half. Wrap each half in wax paper and chill in
refrigerator.

When chilled, roll out bottom crust and line pie plate with it.

For filling: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, combine 2
tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons flour. Spread this mixture on
bottom crust to absorb liquid. Combine remaining sugar, flour, cinnamon
and nutmeg in a bowl and mix well. Pour sugar mixture over sliced
apples and mix well. Pour apples into pie crust. Dot with small chunks
of butter.

Roll out top crust and place on top of apples. Crimp edges and make 5
(1 1/2-inch long) slits on top of pie crust. Brush top crust lightly
with milk. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 5 minutes. Then reduce heat to
350 degrees and bake for 1 hour.

Note: It's best to chill all crust ingredients, including bowl, fork, flour and shortening.

This apple pie is sure to please the most demanding pie people you could find. I have never had a complaint with this recipe and neither will you!

*Hint* This pie is good enough to sell to local restaurants, if you would like to get your feet wet in the commercial food industry, this would be a good one to start with. Several restaurants should go through 50-60 pies a month @ $5.00 per pie profit = $250-$300 a month for doing something fun! Bake up 5 pies and give one to each restaurant owner to try. Add up all costs of products (be specific) and tack on $5-$6 per pie for your effort. Enjoy!

~~ Chef Brian ~~