Good Dinner Mellen loves pies and one of my favorite pie to bake is an apple. I love the smell of apples, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice baking in the oven; the scent escaping throughout the kitchen. Who can resist a piece of warm apple pie topped with rich vanilla ice cream?

Pastry:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter

1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Measure flour and salt into a bowl. Cut into butter thoroughly with a pastry blender.  Sprinkle in the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing with a fork until flour is moistened and dough almost cleans the side of the bowl.

Gather the dough into a ball, then shape, divide the dough in half and shape into 2 flattened rounds.) Chill dough for at least one hour. On a lightly floured board roll each dough rounds 2 inches larger all around than the inverted pie pan. Place pastry on parchment or wax paper-lined baking sheet, and chill.

9 medium-size firm tart apples, cored and thinly sliced. (I used Granny Smith)

2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoon quick tapioca

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/4 cup boiled apple cider

2 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 425 F. Put apple slices mixing bowl sprinkle with lemon juice. Combine sugar, tapioca, salt, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg toss mix well and toss with apples. Place on pastry round in the pie plate. Pour apple mixture into the pie crust and dot with butter. Carefully cover the apples with top pastry, trim the overhang, and crimp the edges to seal. Cut vents in top pie crust to allow steam to escape. Brush crust with milk and sprinkle with sugar for a nice shine. Bake the pie for 20 minutes then lower oven to 375 and bake for another 40 minutes or until pastry is nicely browned and the juices in the center of the pie are bubbling. Let cool slightly on a wire rack before serving. Serve plain or with vanilla ice cream!

Enjoy!