Recipe: Grandma's Apple Pie

Baking makes me feel less stabby. Baking my Grandma’s apple pie is fully restorative. Something about how my hand cramps up after slicing apples as thinly as possible makes me feel like I can do anything. For the dough, Grandma uses Pillsbury. Pillsbury has a time and a place in a pinch, but I feel like my Grandma’s pie deserves better. This buttery pie crust is one of my favorites.

Ingredients:

• 6 Granny Smith apples

• 1 cup sugar

• 2 tsp cinnamon

• 3/4 cup all purpose flour

• 1/3 cup butter

Mix cinnamon and sugar together. Peel apples and cut into quarters. Slice as thinly as possible and toss in lemon juice to prevent browning. In a large bowl, sprinkle 1/2 cup cinnamon sugar over apples and toss until slices are evenly coated. Layer the apples slices in the pie crust, creating a circular pattern that resembles a rose. Move the apples more toward the center as you reach the top, creating a subtle mound. 

For the crumb topping, mix the rest of the cinnamon sugar with the flour and cut in the butter until crumbly. Sprinkle the mixture over the apples, making sure to tuck in all of the gaps between the apples and the crust. Press down gently to secure the crumb topping. Bake at 400° for 40 minutes.

I like mine cold and for breakfast with a cup of coffee. Eric likes his warm and a la mode.