Pie Crust

• ⅔ cup shortening
• 1 tbsp butter
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 cups flour plus extra for rolling dough
• about 7 tbsp of cold water
• 2-3 strips of tin foil (about 1½" wide)
• about 2 tbsp of milk

Apple Filling

• 5-6 apples (Granny Smith recommended)
• 1 cup of sugar plus an extra pinch to sprinkle on top of pie
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp butter
• pinch of salt

Make Bottom Crust

1. Preheat oven to 425°
2. In a bowl, blend shortening, butter, flour and salt with a fork
3. Add cold water, a little at a time, around the perimeter of the bowl. When you see that the dough is starting to come together, stop adding water
4. Form into a ball and refrigerate in a bowl 5-10 minutes, uncovered
5. Take dough out of the fridge
6. Wet your kitchen counter top with a sponge, lay down plastic wrap and flour it lightly. You can work directly on the counter but this makes for easier clean-up
7. Take ½ of the dough, add a little flour and knead with hands
8. Roll out the dough. Add flour if rolling pin sticks to the dough. Roll from center out, then from center back towards you, NOT back and forth because that would toughen the dough and may create holes
9. Fold the dough in half and place it in the pie pan. Unfold and gently ease into the pan

Make Filling

1. Peel and thinly slice apples right into the pie pan, spreading them out. When you're done there should be a heap of apples higher than the pan
2. Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the apples
3. Cut 2 tbsp of butter into even pieces (about 4-5) and place in different areas over the apples, cinnamon and sugar
4. Trim the bottom crust dough about ½" around the outside of the pan. (Save the extra dough to make yummy jam tarts)

Make Top Crust

1. Roll out the remaining dough.  Follow technique described above in the Bottom Crust instructions
2. Fold the dough in half and make 4 slits toward the center to release air while baking
3. Place dough on top of filling and gently unfold
4. Trim dough about 1" out from the edge of the pie pan
5. Fold the top crust over the bottom crust and then tuck under
6. Crimp the dough between thumb and finger.  Best to watch the video to master Bea’s technique

The Love

1. Cut a heart out of a piece of leftover dough, moisten with milk, and place near the middle of the pie.  Shows that you put just a little extra love
2. Brush milk lightly over the top crust with your fingers or a pastry brush to brown the crust
3. Sprinkle with sugar

 

Bake the Pie

1. Cover the edges of the crust with tin foil to protect it from burning
2. Bake for 50 minutes 
3. Remove foil from crust and bake a final 10 minutes

 

Jam Tarts

As Bea says in her video, you can use the extra dough to make tasty jam tarts

How-To

1. Roll out your extra dough
2. Make small rounds with a cookie cutter or juice glass
3. Put 1 tsp of the jam of your choice in the middle
4. Top with a second round
5. Brush a little milk and add a sprinkling of sugar
6. Bake for about 10 minutes (or until lightly browned) at 350° F