Mom's Apple Pie..........Mom Franzen

Mom's Apple Pie..........Mom Franzen

2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup shortening + 1 tbl. The tablespoon helps keep dough from cracking.
4 tbl. cold water

Pie filling: This is a little difficult because this is a little of this and a little of that recipe.

6-7 cups thinly sliced Green apples (need enough to fill pie pan to overflowing)
1 tbl. butter (for 'dotting' pie)
Flour
3/4 - 1 cup sugar
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Allspice (this is what makes this Mom's pie!)

Peel, core and slice apples 1/4" thick.
Work in layers. (there is no science to the measuring).
Place some apples in large mixing bowl. Sprinkle some flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice over apples.
Continue layering, about 4 or 5 layers.
Mix all up until flour cannot be seen. Put aside and make dough.

Combine flour and salt in large bowl.
Cut in shortening using a pastry blender or fork making pea-sized pieces of dough.
Sprinkle with 4 tbl. of water.
Continue to mix with pastry blender or hands. Gather dough together into a ball.
Knead it in hands slightly until smooth and without cracks-

Divide dough almost in half – one piece slightly larger than the other. Round up larger part and start to press between palms, moving it around in a circular motion. When it is about an inch thick, place it on a floured pastry cloth.
Roll out into circle until not quite 1/8 inch thick. DO NOT add more flour. The final circle should be about an inch wider than top edge of pie pan. Fold in half, place over pie pan, unfold. Pat carefully into pan without stretching.

Pour apple slices into the pan. Push them around and try to keep them flat. Scrape away overhanging dough. Mix it with remaining dough and repeat the dough roll out as noted above.

“Dot” pieces of butter on top of apples.

Dip fingers into cold water, moisten edge of dough in pan.

Fold rolled out dough, place over apples in pan. Unfold over apples.

Cut away edges of dough, overlapping edge… should be 1”.

Fold overlap under lip of dough. Overlap should only be about a quarter of an inch. Pinch edges all the way around pie, dipping fingers into cold water every once in awhile. Mom used two fingers on outside and pressed with one finger on the inside.

Pierce top of pie

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Bake for 50 – 60 minutes until nicely browned.