Apple Pie

Instructions

1. MAKE CRUST: In a large shallow bowl, sift the flour and stir salt and sugar in. Cut the two sticks of butter into tiny pieces and scatter over the flour. Using two knives, one in each hand, pull knives in a motion from the center out to cut the butter into the flour. Then, with cool fingertips, toss and break up each of the remaining larger bits into the flour until it resembles damp sand. Pour in the half and half and stir with a fork until the dough begins to gather up. Don’t add too much liquid, it’s okay if it’s not all one mass. Cover your clean worksurface with two sheets of overlapping plastic wrap to make a large square. Scrape the pie dough onto the center of the plastic. Pull the ends of plastic up around the dough and squeeze to form a nice ball of dough. Cut ball of dough into two pieces. Cover work surface with another two overlapping pieces of plastic wrap. Place one of the dough balls on the center. Flatten with your hands to make a ½ inch-tall disk. Cover with two more pieces of plastic wrap. Gently pat out dough through the plastic and then roll out dough to make a large circle. Place plastic wrapped circle on a pizza pan and place in refrigerator. Repeat the process with the other piece of dough. Allow dough to chill while you slice the apples.
2. MAKE FILLING: Wash and core apples. Cut each apple into quarters. Using a mandolin slicer (and great caution! Mandolins are very sharp!), or a sharp knife, thinly slice each quarter of the apple into a large bowl. Squeeze the lemon juice over all. In a small bowl, combine the sugars, flour cinnamon and grated nutmeg. Pour this over the apples and toss to mix well. Set aside to rest.
3. ASSEMBLE PIE: Preheat oven to 375. Remove one of the plastic wrapped pie crust circles from fridge. Roll out a bit to ensure the circle is one inch larger than the circumference of your pie dish. Remove plastic from one side of the crust. Flip crust over pie plate and ease into the plate, removing the remaining plastic. Gently nudge crust into the plate, pressing down to make sure there are no air pockets, leaving the excess dough around the circle extending over the edge of the dish. Fill crust with the apples, mounding at the top. Dot with the tiny piece of butter. Remove second pie crust from fridge and remove plastic from one side, flip to place over the pie, remove remaining plastic sheets. Gently fold and tuck the top crust dough edges over the bottom crust, tucking and folding all the way around the pie. Crimp dough edges with thumb and forefinger, all the way around the edge to create an attractive fluted edge. Brush pie with egg wash. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Cut air vent slits in the top center of the pie. Bake at 375 for 50 minutes to 1 hour until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling. Remove pie from oven to a cooling rack. Allow to rest for ½ hour before serving.