APPLE RECIPE: Perfect Apple Pie

This recipe has never failed me.  In fact, my father in law says I make the best apple pie he has ever tasted. Now how's THAT for a compliment and testament to this recipe??  September is the month for apples. Most orchards across the US have apple picking. When we go, I inevitably pick WAAAYYYY too many apples, so I always love apple recipes to help use up the surplus. I hate to see good apples go to waste.

For this recipe I recommend a nice variety of apples.  Firm tart apples like a granny smith, Swiss Gourmet or Mutsu, mixed with a sweet firm apple like Empire, Gala, Cortland, crispin or honey crisp. Stay away from red delicious, golden delicious or other soft apples. They will break down and get mushy.

for my pie I use 2/3 tart apple like granny smith or mutsu, and 1/3 sweet like honeycrisp and gala. You really need at least 2 types of apples for the perfect apple pie. A nice tart apple and a nice sweet apple. All sweet and it is cloying.  All tart and it gets to be overwhelming.

6 cups peeled apples, thinly sliced. (think Apple Peeling/Coring machine)

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 TBSP flour

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 TBSP Lemon Juice

dash of Clove

dash of allspice (I know what you are thinking...trust me)

In a large bowl combine everything well. Toss apples to completely coat.  Apples will start to juice and it will mingle with the sugars and spices and mkae this delicious "broth".  Make sure all apples are well coated.

Spoon into a pie tin, that has been lined with a crust.

drizzle the "broth" evenly over the top of the apples.

Top with random slivers of butter over the apples.  This will melt down over the apples and mingle.

Place top crust, flute endges and make venting slits in top crust.  Brush the top of the crust with a bit of milk

Bake at 425 for 40-45 minutes until apples are tender and crust is a lovely golden brown.

Towards the last few minutes of baking, pull pie out and gently brush top crust with butter.

lightly sprinkle white sugar  and put back in oven to finish baking.

This is optional, but adds a nice little finishing touch.

I know that Allspice is used typically on meat and poultry and in soup, stew, curry and jerk seasonings, it works WONDERFULLY well with this apple pie recipe.  Just a dash or two will go a long way, but really take it to the next level.