Simple Spiced Apple Pie

I love pie. And when you can say you are eating fruit too, well it doesn't feel as much like you are cheating on healthy eating. :)

One of my favorite recipe websites is allrecipes.com and I find some good food ideas there to adapt to my liking. That's where this pie recipe grew from.For the crust I used Grandma's Secret Pie Crust (not so secret anymore I suppose).

Following recipes equal one 9-inch apple pie.

Crust recipe (or you can use pre-made refrigerated crust):

Makes a top and bottom crust

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups shortening

1 egg

1 splash distilled white vinegar

4 tablespoons water (if you live in a dry environment, you might need more)

In the food processor mix the flour and salt and cut in shortening.

Drizzle the wet ingredients into dry mixture, cutting it in until it forms small granules. 

Turn out the mixture onto a stone countertop or rolling mat with a sprinkle of flour on it and roll thin with lightly floured pin to fit your pie pan.

Now for the filling:

1/2 cup sugar (if you don't like super sweet pies or are using sweet apples, gala vs. the more tart granny smith, you can cut the sugar in half or substitute the equivalent of stevia powder)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, nutmeg, and cloves (or your favorite pie spices)

4 large apples thinly sliced

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

1 egg white

In a small bowl, combine sugars, flour and spices until the brown sugar isn't very clumpy. In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice to keep from turning brown. Add sugar mixture and stir well with big spatula (or hands) to coat. Line a 9-in. pie pan with rolled out pie crust dough. Stack rings of the apple filling into crust and dot with butter. 

Cover with the top crust and pinch around the edges so you don't get leaks in the oven. Cut a few slits in top (feel free to make them decorative). Beat an egg white and brush over the top of crust so it turns golden in the oven. Lightly sprinkle sugar on top if you feel the need. 

Bake at 375 degrees F for 35 minutes. Increase temperature to 400 degrees F and bake 10-15 minutes more or until golden.

Let it cool before eating. That's the hardest part! :)