Old-Fashioned Apple Pie

Do you like to be fairly traditional at Thanksgiving and make pies? Or do you like changing it up a bit? I can go either way. I love all things dessert and am certainly not going to discriminate on Thanksgiving! I don't really care for pecan pie and my husband doesn't really like pumpkin pie though, so we're usually looking to chocolate chip pie and apple pie for our fix. This is a great, simple, classic apple pie that I've adapted out of the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. We like it both with a pastry topping or a crumb topping. There are links at the bottom of the post for pie crust recipes.

Old-Fashioned Apple Pie

1 double crust pie pastry (or single with crumb topping)

6 cups peeled and sliced apples

1 Tbs lemon juice

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tbs flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp cloves

Crumb Topping:

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2-3 Tbs cold butter

If topping the pie with crumble, mix flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in the butter with pastry blender until it looks like course crumbs. Set aside. Alternatively, you can top the pie with a second pastry layer. 

To begin the pie, prepare a pie plate with a single, unbaked pastry crust. Prepare apples and place in a mixing bowl. Toss with lemon juice. Add sugar, flour, and spices and toss together. 

Place all the apples into the prepared pie crust. It will look really full, but put it all in. 

Sprinkle evenly with all the crumb topping if you want a crumb topped apple pie. 

If you are topping with a second pastry, roll out the dough to slightly larger than your pie. Gently cover the apples, without stretching the dough. Pinch together the edges and slit a few holes in the top in a pretty way--4-5 one inch slits in a circular pattern or something like that. 

Bake at 375F (195C) for about 50-55 minutes, until the edges and top are golden. If you use a small oven especially, you might want to cover the top lightly with foil for the first half of the cooking to prevent over browning at the end. Even in a larger oven that regulates heat better, this still may be necessary for a pastry topped pie.

Need a pie pastry recipe?
All Butter Pie Crust
Shortening Crust
Oil Crust