As Easy as Apple Pie

  Our seven year old has been begging me for at least a month now to bake an apple pie. I guess she got hooked over Christmas when two of our neighbors each brought us apple pies. They didn't go to waste and even got me, a not so fond of apple pie person, to love this apple pie. A lot of my recipes come from this wonderful neighbor. They are just good old fashioned recipes with nothing special, and most of the time not even a written recipe.  This apple pie is delicious. Here's what you need:

Pie Crust:
3 cups flour
1ts salt
3/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup soft butter
1 egg
1 ts white vinegar
1/3 cup cold water.

Filling:
6-7 apples peeled and sliced to about 1/4 inch thick
1/2- 1 cup of sugar
1 T instant tapioca
1 T flour
Cinnamon
Butter chunks

 First start by peeling and cutting up the apples. Sprinkle sugar on in layers and allow to sit. This will cause the apples to "sweat" and make apple pie juices. It should sit at least 1/2  an hour. Longer will allow the flavors to develop even more.

Now cut in your butter and shortening into the flour and salt. You can use a stiff fork if you don't have a pastry cutter. But if you like pie and plan on baking them, they are not that expensive and make light work of pie crust.

Combine the egg, water and vinegar and then add to the flour and form a dough. You may need more flour. The dough should be soft but easy to handle and not sticky.

After the apples have sweat it out a while you can add your instant tapioca, flour and cinnamon. Let this rest a while as well.

 Roll our the dough and get it in your pie pan. This pie pan is larger but not as deep. I found I like the deeper dishes better.

 Next add the apples, and about 1/2 a cube of cut up butter. My bad, I forgot the butter, but it does make it even better.

 Place the top crust on, cut off edges, paint the top with egg whites, and sprinkle with sugar.

 Bake at 350 degrees F. for 45-50 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

It didn't take us long to eat half of that apple pie!