Apple Pie (with a twist)

By pknaub

Ingredients

• CRUST:
• 2 1/2 cups King Arthur unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 stick + 2
• tablespoons)
• 8 tablespoons ice water (enough to make a cohesive
• dough)
• FILLING:
• 8 cups lightly packed cored, peeled, and sliced
• Ginger Gold apples (about 7 large apples)
• 1 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar
• 1/4 cup boiled cider (or apple juice concentrate)
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 6 tablespoons Pie Filling Enhancer OR 1/4 cup King
• Arthur Unbleached all-purpose flour

Preparation

Step 1

CRUST: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
Add the shortening, mixing, till well combined.
Cut the butter into small cubes or pats, and work it into the dry
ingredients (using your fingers, a pastry blender or fork, or a mixer)
until the dough is unevenly crumbly.
Sprinkle in the ice water, continuing to mix until the dough is cohesive.
Grab a handful; if it holds together willingly, and doesn't seem at all
dry or crumbly, you've added enough liquid.
Divide the dough roughly in half, with on half slightly larger than the
other.
Shape each piece of dough into a disk.
Roll the edges along a floured work surface (as though the disk were a
wheel), in order to smooth them out.
Pat each disk till it's about 1" thick, wrap in plastic wrap, and
refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes. You may also chill the dough
overnight, or for up to 3 days. Remove dough from the refrigerator. If
it's been chilled longer than 30 minutes, allow it to warm a bit and
become flexible, about 15 to 30 minutes. While the dough is warming,
prepare the filling, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

FILLING: Place the sliced apples in a medium mixing bowl, and stir in the
sugar, boiled cider, spices, salt, vanilla, and lemon juice. As you stir,
the mixture will become syrupy. Add the butter and Pie Filling Enhancer or
flour, and stir until everything is well blended. Set it aside.

Flour your work surface, and roll one piece of the dough into a 14"
circle. Transfer the dough to a 9" regular (not deep-dish) pie pan that's
at least 1 1/4" deep.

Spoon the filling into the crust.


Roll the top crust into about an 11" circle, and place it over the
filling.

Fold the edge of the bottom crust up over the edge of the top crust,
squeeze them together, and crimp nicely. Cut a decorative slit (or a
quarter sized hole) into the center of the crust, for steam to escape.

Place the pie pan on a cookie sheet (to catch any spills), and bake the
pie for 45 minutes.

Gently place a sheet of aluminum foil atop the pie, covering its entire
surface and continue to bake for an additional 1 hour, 15 minutes, for a
total of 2 hours, till the top crust is golden brown and filling is
bubbly.

Remove the pie from the oven, and allow it to cool overnight, for best
texture. If you cut into it too soon, the filling will be watery, and
will ooze out.

To serve warm, heat individual slices briefly in the microwave. Serve with
vanilla ice cream, if desired.