Did you know that Oliver Cromwell banned the eating of pie in 1644, declaring it a pagan form of pleasure? You can find this and more fun pie facts at www.piecouncil.org - or join with me in the idolatrous orgy of fall flavors that is homemade apple pie.

Ingredients

For Dough:

• 12½ ounces all purpose flour

• 2 Tbsp sugar

• 1 tsp salt

• 2.5 sticks butter

• 6-8 ounces ice water

For Apples:

• 2½ pounds apples

• ¾ cup sugar

• ¼ tsp cinnamon

• ¼ tsp allspice

• ¼ tsp nutmeg

• ¼ tsp ginger

• 2 Tbsp flour

Method

For Dough:

1. Start with 12 ½ ounces of flour that you’re going to put into a food processor. Adding 2 Tbsp of sugar and 1 tsp of salt. Pulse to combine.

2. Add 2 ½ sticks of cold cubed butter and pulse until mixture resembles wet sand. Pour mixture into a bowl.

3. Measure out 6-8 ounces of ice water that you’re going to sprinkle over the top and gently fold in using a rubber spatula. Add more if necessary until a shaggy dough forms.

4. Turn out dough on work surface and turn into a disc. Liberally dust with flour, wrap in plastic wrap and place in fridge for 2 hours.

5. Take dough out of fridge and plastic wrap and place on the table.

6. Dust it with flour and slightly pound it with rolling pin.

7. Split dough into two equal pieces, and begin to gently roll out the flour as you go, rolling it out to about 4 inches wider than your pie plate.

8. Use your rolling pin to lift up the dough and place it over our pie plate.

9. Press down in the corners to make sure it’s all even.

10. Now it’s time to start cutting your lattice. You’re going to need 10 one inch strips.

11. Fill the bottom of the pie crust with your apple filling (recipe below) and press it down gently.

12. Begin laying the lattice strips overtop. You want to place 5 strips across the top of your pie, lifting 2 strips at a time at a time and interleaving strips in the opposite direction.

13. Trim off excess dough and tuck it underneath the edge.

14. Crimp every inch of so using your fingers to give decorative flair.

15. Brush down with beaten egg white and sprinkle granulated sugar overtop.

16. Place on a preheated baking sheet you’ve left int a 500°F oven.

17. Turn the oven down 400°F, and cook for 30-45 minutes. Once you take it out of the oven, let rest for 4 hours.

For Apples:

1. Peel and chop 2½ pounds of good baking apples.

2. Add ¾ cup of sugar and ¼ tsp each of cinnamon allspice nutmeg and ginger.

3. Add 2 Tbsp of flour and give it a good mix.