Old Fashioned Country Apple Pie

This is the one great grandma used to make. Nothing fancy here, just simple ingredients making a scrumptious pie! This recipe has been handed down for 3 generations by the women in my 80 yr. old neighbor's family, and has won the blue ribbon more than once at county fairs.

• Ready In: 1 hr 50 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 3  cups unbleached flour
• 2  teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
• 6  tablespoons  ice water
• 1  cup Crisco shortening
• 2 1⁄2 lbs tart apples (@ 5 large, Baldwin or Granny Smith)
• 2⁄3-1  cup sugar, to taste
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1  tablespoon heavy cream

Directions

1. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in medium size bowl; stir to mix well. Remove 1/2 cupof the mixture to small bowl; mix with the water till smooth. Cut shortening into remaining flour mixture resembles coarse meal; mix in flour-water mixture till well blended. Shape into ball. Wrap dough in wax paper. Refrigerate while preparing apple filling.
2. Quarter apples. Core, pare and slice into large bowl; reserve.
3. Combine sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in small bowl.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
5. Divide pastry in half. Roll out each half between 2 pieces of was paper into 11"circle. Fit one circle into 9" pie plate. Add half the apples; sprinkle with sugar mixture. Top with remaining apple slices. Moisten edge of pastry with water. Cover top with second pastry circle. Press edges together. Trim pastry and shape edge as desired. Prick top crust with tines of fork. Brush top with cream.
6. Bake in preheated hot 400 degree oven for 50-60 minutes or till apples are tender. Cool pie on wire rack. Serve warm or cold.
7. Note: If top browns too quickly, cover top loosely with foil. Don't use aluminum tins (pie plates). Seal the crusts with plenty of water. Don't worry about patching.