Country Apple Pie

In ‘Perfect Pies’ by Michele Stuart

• Ready In: 2 hrs 25 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

•  pie crust, dough for 9-inch double crust pie (Traditional Pastry Piecrust)
• 1⁄2 cup heavy cream

• Filling

• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 2  tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1  tablespoon ground cinnamon
•  ground nutmeg, a dash
• 8  medium apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1  tablespoon salted butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Divide the ball of dough in half, setting one half to the side.
3. On a clean, lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it forms a 10-inch circle.
4. Place in pie plate; set aside while making the filling.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
6. Place the apples in a large bowl and sprinkle them with the sugar mixture, making sure the apples are thoroughly coated.
7. Place the apple mixture in the pie shell, distributing them evenly.
8. Dot the filling with the butter.
9. Roll out the second half of dough with a rolling pin until it forms a 10-inch circle.
10. Place over apple filling; crimp the edges of the pie dough together to seal in the filling, and then use a fork to puncture the top of the pie 5 or 6 times.
11. Brush the top of the pie and crimped edges with heavy cream to create a perfect, golden brown finish.
12. To bake, place the pie plate on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
13. Decrease oven heat to 375 degrees and continue baking for 40 minutes, or until the apples are tender.
14. Insert a cake tester or a knife into the pie to check the firmness of the apples.
15. If the apples are still firm, continue baking the pie until they soften.
16. The perfect apple pie will have visible juices bubbling around the crust.
17. If the top of the crust is getting too brown and the apples are not done yet, cover the pie with foil to allow the apples to bake a big longer without browning the crust too much.
18. Transfer the pie plate to a wire cooling rack and allow the pie to cool and se t for 1 ½ hours before serving.
19. Apple pies are best served either at room temperature or warmed at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.
20. This pie will keep at room temperature overnight and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.