Superbowl Apple Pie (By Request)

Except that it was served at Kayte's Superbowl party, this pie has nothing to do with football and everything to do with a book Keira and I like called How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World. I thought actually making the recipe that ends the book would be a good weekend activity, and it was--up to the point where the dough was mixed and rolled out. After that, I was on my own.

Having no particular expertise in the art of pie-making, I was operating under the Mom Doctrine, which requires strict adherence to the directions of an unfamiliar recipe.  That dovetailed neatly with my interest in trying to making a crust the way we've all seen Mom and Gran Goodin do countless times in the past: with ice at the ready.

Crust

• 2 c flour
• 1 t salt
• 1 c butter
• 1/2 c ice water (I thought Gran used ice chips--maybe someone can clarify)
• 1 egg yok 

Sift flour and salt together in a bowl. Quickly rub small pieced of cold butter into the flour mixture with your fingers until the bits are the size of peas. Add ice water, starting with a few tablespoons and adding more as needed to moisten all the dough. Stir with a fork until mixture forms a loose ball. Divide dough in half and make two equal patties. Place on patty between two pieces of wax paper. With a rolling pin or bottle, roll into a 12-inch circle. Peel off the top piece of wax paper and turn into pie pan. Remove wax paper. Trim around edge. Roll out the top crust in the same way. Refrigerate both until ready to use.

Filling

• 5 Granny Smith apples 
• 3/4 c sugar 
• 1 t cinnamon 
• 1/4 t salt 
• 2 T butter 

Preheat oven to 425. In a large bowl, mix together sugar, cinnamon and salt. Peel, core and cut apples into 3/8-inch slices. Toss the apples into the sugar mixture, coating them well. Arrange apple slices in the pie pan, piling them higher in the center. Dot with pats of butter. Moisten the edge of the bottom crust with water. Cover the pie with the top crust, trim the edge, then pinch the top and bottom edges together. Cut some vents in the top crust. To glaze the crust, mix an egg yolk with 1 T of water. Brush the mixture over the surface of the top crust. Bake 45 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Remove pie and allow to cool before serving.