Apple Pie! YUMMY!!

One of our most favorite pies is Apple Pie (running neck & neck with Chocolate Cream Pie). This one I made on Saturday when we had friends over for the German "Coffee & Cake" time (between lunch & dinner). Thought I'd take a snapshot before it quickly disappeared & add the recipe here. This is the regular size pie, but for large groups, I use the Pampered Chef deep dish stone & increase the amount of apples & spices to make a huge pie.

here's the recipe (if you would like it converted to German, send me an e-mail)

you'll need pie crust ... recipe below if you want to make it from scratch.
3/4 - 1 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
2Tbl. flour
2 tsp. ground cinnamon (3tsp for deep dish)
3/4tsp. ground nutmeg (1,5tsp for deep dish)
10-12 pealed, cored & sliced APPLES: 3 or 4 different types (15+ Apples for deep dish) depends on size of apples if you'll need more or less. You can have almost never too many, even if it is a large mound in the pie, it will reduce when cooked, so better too many than too few.
2Tbl. butter
1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream

1. Prepare pie crust or take out pre-made from freezer.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F
3. Combine: sugar, flour & spices in large bowl.
4. Add apple slices & toss till well coated.
5. Fill crust with apple slices & dot with butter.
6. Put the top crust over filled crust. Trim if necessary.
7. Fold edge of top crust over edge of bottom crust, Crimp to seal.
8. Cut holes/slits/leaf designs in top crust to allow for steam to escape & large enough to pour cream into when pie is done. Design leaves & berries from extra crust if available.
9. Bake for 60min or till crust is golden, apples test done.
10. Turn off oven, slowly pour cream into pie through holes/slits in top crust. Return to oven till oven is cool (apx. 20min).
Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Pie Crust Recipe:
2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup shortening, chilled
5 Tbl. butter, chilled (= 70g)
5 Tbl. ice water

1. Measure out shortening, butter & watter (separately) and put in freezer.
2. Sift flour & salt in large bowl.
3. Add chilled shortening & butter.
4. Using a pastry blender or two butter knives, cut the butter & shortening into the flour till it is like coarse crumbs. (DO NOT use hands, the warmth will melt the butter & reduce flakiness.)
5. Sprinkle the ice water evenly over mixture. Blend gently with wooden spoon till moistened & can be shaped into a ball. Don't over work or crust wont be flaky.
6. Divide into two balls.
7. Wrap each ball separately tightly in plastic wrap & put in fridge. This allows the crust to settle & reduces shrinkage when baked.
8. When filling is ready, remove 1 ball from fridge, on lightly floured surface, press down & using a floured rolling pin, roll out crust to desired size (1/8 inch thickness) & ease into pie pan.
9. Remove 2nd ball from fridge & roll out to fit top of pie (1/16 in thickness).
10. Use extra dough to create leaves & berries or other designs to decorated the pie top.

ENJOY!