Its hard to beat good pie. 20 years ago or so I got Mom to show me how to roll out a crust and when I get in the mood for good pie, I make a good one myself. I've tried a few fancy things and getting creative but when it boils down to it you can't beat a good made from scratch basic apple pie.

Pie recipe is pretty much straight out of my old Better Home and Gardens book I got when we got married. Internet had barely got going back then.

Mom's "cobbler" crust recipe, it makes 3 reg size pie crusts. We never ate biscuit type cobblers growing up, all the women in Mom's family used this recipe and made big [censored] 10x14" pies and called them cobblers.

3 C flour
1 Tsp salt
1 Cup shortening
1 Cup water - I use 7/8 cup ice water. Ice water made by mixing ice/water in 2 cup measuring cup then pouring 7/8 cup off into a 1 cup measuring cup.
When I cook I don't worry about accuracy of measurements, mainly use my hand for tsp, tbsp, etc - pie crust is the exception. I use a stainless 1 cup measuring cup and the backside of a butter knife to level the flour and Crisco. Crisco is packed, flour isn't sifted but I fluff it a bit in the container before scooping.

Mix flour and salt, use a pastry blender to cut in the Crisco til it looks like about crushed granite. Best way I have found to mix in the water is make a well in the middle then dump the water in at once, spread the fingers of one hand and just kind of rake it in until you got a dough. You don't won't to overwork it, but about the time everything looks even put the whole mess in your hands and make a big ball. This takes a little practice. Can't be too sticky or too dry.

Roll that ball lightly into a loaf about the size of a Foster's oil can, cut into separate 3 pieces and make into 3 balls - these are the ones you roll out. Unless you got a calibrated eyeball they'll be a little bit different sized so use the big ones for the bottom crust. I take the ball before I roll it out, rotate in the palms of my hands and work the edges under with the edge of my hands to make it nice and round. Been a while and I forgot to do that on the 1st one, thats' why its so irregular shape. Last one I did looked much better.

Flour the counter top, rub a little flour into your rolling pin the roll it. I roll 6 ways starting in the middle everytime roll. 10, 12, 2, 4, 6, then 8 o'clock. Don't press too hard. Takes a little practice, you'd rather have it too thick than thin because last thing you want to do is wad it back up and start over, then you get a tough crust. Use your pie pan as a guide to how big it needs to be before you stop.

Take that crust and lay it in you pan. I've read where you roll the crust up on your pin and then roll it off in the pie pan so it doesn't tear, best way I have found is to just fold it over on itself a few times about the width of your hand on the counter, then move it the pan and unfold it. Cut the extra that hangs off the outside and use it to patch the holes where you didn't get it right, a little water on it will make it stick if you are particular about that.

Thats my helper. Since I got 2 pies I double the recipe. 14 c apples. One thing I do different than Mom is mix the sliced apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon in a big bowl then put them in the fridge for about an hour, then use a slotted spoon to transfer the apples to the pies. I don't dump that juice in. Mom can't stand to waste it and she does, so you get this super juicy pie - which isn't necessarily bad - but I like my crust crusty and flaky so I leave the juice out. Nothing but crust and stacked apples in mine.

Apples in the crust, pie shields on. In the oven for 35 minutes, pie shields off then 25 minutes more. Since I don't have a top crust for the second pie usually just mix up a brown sugar, oatmeal struessel topping for it.

In the oven now, just waiting on them to get done...

All done, just out of the oven. One thing that you want to do is put them on a cool rack so they can cool quick, that helps your bottom crust stay flaky and not soggy. I'm prob a little more particular than most and set a box fan next to the table so they cool faster.

Forgot to take pics but you use extra crust to make whatever design you want on the top. Usually I let the kids do that. Brush the crust with egg white or milk and sprinkle with sugar before it goes in the oven, I like using milk but egg white will make a glossier type crust that my wife favors. Don't brush your cutout and sprinkle it with a little cinnamon, that will make it contrast and stand out if you want.




These will be perfect about the time we get done with dinner in a couple hours....

What’s your address.......?

Maybe next time. Double crust got massacred at dinner. Ill be eatin the other one for breakfast next couple days.

I love pie!

Beautiful looking good job.

Use hog lard instead of shortening.

Dayum that looks delicious

I hear that works well, haven't tried it though. Maybe when this can of Crisco is used up.

Put that crisco away man. Lard piecrust is sooo much better. It is actually makes a flaky crust that tastes good. It will almost separate into thin crispy layers.

Your pie is awesome. Somehow the lard crust will make it better. Try it.

You guys can cook!