Every October since I was born, my family and I have gone apple picking. Once we’ve picked our fill, we go to the barn at the center of the farm to get homemade apple fritters and apple cider. We then drive home to make our inaugural apple pie to welcome fall. As the pie bakes, the entire house starts to smell amazing. Going apple picking and making a pie is one of my favorite family traditions, and always makes my entire family smile. I hope we continue this tradition for years to come, and that it inspires your family to make something delicious this fall.

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1 cup of unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces
• 6 tablespoons of vegetable shortening
• 5 to 6 tablespoons of ice water

Filling:

• 8 tart apples, preferably Granny Smith
• 4 tablespoons (½ stick) of unsalted butter, melted
• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
• ¾ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Steps:

1. 1. Preheat the oven to 350º F
2. 2. Cut butter and shortening into the flour; combine to make the dough. Add remaining dry ingredients followed by the ice water before rolling into balls. The dough should refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. 3. Peel and cut the apples and add other filling ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Leave filling on the counter to ensure a more flavorful pie.
4. 4. To construct the pie, roll out balls of dough on a floured surface using a rolling pin. Place one circle in the bottom of the pie then add the filling and the second circle on top, followed by the crimping of the edges to minimize filling spillage.
5. 5. Score the top with a sharp knife to allow steam to escape, then place pie in the preheated oven for one hour or until the top is brown.
6. 6. Enjoy!