Apple Pie

By lovenaples

Ingredients

• Pie Pastry
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp +1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/4 cup +2 tbsp solid vegetable shortening
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 tbsp cold water, or more as needed
• Filling
• 8 red apples
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 cup sugar, or more to taste depending on sweetness of apples
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Topping
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp flour
• 1 stick +1 1/2 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
• 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup peacans, broken up coarsely

Preparation

Step 1

For the pastry:
In a food processor or medium bowl, mix the flour, sugar and salt briefly. Add the butter and shortening and cut the ingredients together until crumbly. Combine the vinegar and water; add to the mixture, mixing briefly. If necessary, add just enough cold water for the dough to come together. Gather it into a ball; then wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1/2 hour.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out fairly thin into a neat circle. Fit it, without stretching, into a buttered deep 9 1/2- or 10-inch pie pan. Form a high fluted border. Chill the pie shell.

For the filling:
Peel, quarter, and core the apples. And slice them into a large mixing bowl, tossing them with the lemon juice to prevent darkening. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar flour, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Sprinkle this mixture over the apples and toss to coat.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.

For the topping:
In a food processor, or using two knives or your fingers, cut together the flour and butter, leaving the butter in pieces about the size of a nickel. Mix in the brown sugar, then the pecans. Refrigerate the mixture.
Scatter the apple mixture into the crust, mounding it in the center. Place in the oven; place a sheet of aluminum foil on the rack below to catch any drips. Bake for 25 minutes.
Raise the oven heat to 400°F. Scatter the topping over the apples, covering them completely and pressing gently to adhere. Bake until the topping is nicely browned, 25 to 30 minutes longer. Cool the pie on a wire rack; serve at room temperature or lukewarm.