The Lord God Made It All

What you are about to witness is not a healthy pie recipe.  You have been warned.

Peel and core six very large Granny Smith apples.  Set aside (oxidation is not an issue). 

Combine 3 cups of all purpose flour, 1 tsp of salt and 2 tsp of sugar.  I used a food processor to mix these by pulsing the blades for 1 to 2 seconds at a time.

Cut 1 cup (2 sticks) of frozen butter into small pieces and add to the dry ingredients.

Turn the processor on and off with quick pulses just until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.

Separate 1 egg.  Set aside the whites.

To the egg yolk, add 1/4-1/2 cup of ice water and 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract.  Beat until thoroughly mixed.

Add the liquid ingredients and turn the motor on and off with quick pulses just until the mixture begins to mass together.  It should be crumbly, but not dry.  If the mixture seems too crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Wrap the dough in wax paper and place in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes (this is especially important to do in the summer).

Slice the cored apples.  Measure out approximately 4-6 cups of cranberries.  Rinse thoroughly and pick out any withered berries.

In a large bowl, combine fruit and berries.

Squeeze the juice out of half a lemon. Drizzle the juice over the berries and fruit.

In a separate bowl, combine 2 cups of sugar, 1/8 tsp of nutmeg, 3/4 tsp of cinnamon, and 5 tablespoons of cornstarch.

Toss the fruit in the dry ingredients until well coated.  Set aside.

Take the dough out of the fridge and divide in half.  Roll the first half out until roughly between 1/4 - 1/8 of a inch thick. 

Dust the top with flour.  Fold in half and then in half again.

Place the center of the pie crust in the center of a 10-inch pie shell.  Unfold and press in.

Trim the dough to about half an inch beyond the pie rim. 

Heap the pie filling in the shell and dot with butter.  Set aside.

Roll out the second half of dough.  Using an empty pie plate, measure and cut about an inch around.

Cut the dough into eight wedges.

Using the egg whites, moisten the edge of the pie crust.

Begin laying the wedges over top the pie, moistening the edges with the egg whites.

When finished, the pie will look like a yurt.

To create a vent for steam to escape, pull the points of the wedges back.

Fold the edges of the crust together.  Press down with a fork.

Brush the top of the pie with the remaining egg whites.

The pie is now ready to be baked.  Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.  Turn the oven down to 325 and bake for another 50 minutes.  To prevent over browning, lay a sheet of tin foil over the pie after about 15-20 minutes.

Bon appetite!