Apple Pie

Mom's apple pie was so good, it has spoiled me for any other. Flaky crust, and the absence of cinnamon in the apple mixture ... it melts in your mouth. (Mom and I were in agreement that cinnamon takes away from the apples. Especially low-grade cinnamon in store bought pies that taste of grit.) The only way to improve this pie is with a dollop of whipped cream on top.

(How classic is this 1950s illustration of the doting housewife serving her husband a homemade apple pie?)

Apple Pie

1 recipe pie dough - click here for recipe
8 medium sized apples (about 5 cups, sliced)
3/4 cups of sugar
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp corn starch
1/4 tsp salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 450F.
Peel, core and slice apples.
Combine the sugar, flour and salt in a bowl and blend thoroughly.

Add sliced apples to the sugar mixture. (Mom sometimes started the cooking process of the apples in the microwave for a minute or two.)
Line a 9-inch pie pan with half the pie dough rolled 1/8 inch thick.
Arrange sliced apples and sugar mixture in the pan. Drizzle lemon juice over the top, then dot with butter.
Adjust the top crust, cutting several vents to allow for the escape of steam.
Trim and seal the edges and bake in a 450-degree F. oven for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. and con­tinue to bake for 45 minutes longer, or until the apples are tender.