what's for your sweet tooth {homemade apple pie}.

one of my favorite things about this time of year is baking.

i love the memories that are made in my kitchen.  i love how baking in the oven will cause my whole house to smell of cinnamon and spice; i love how warm and cozy and happy everything feels.  i love the nostalgia of it all.

it doesn't get much more nostalgic than a good homemade apple pie.  in fact, it's one of my favorite things to bake this time of year.  i love making pie.  it feels accomplished and at the same time rustic and very suzy homemaker.  i feel so 1950's when my husband comes home to a homemade pie.  

and 1950's in a good way.

i've tried a few different types of apple pie, but i think i've just developed my own go to version.  here is my recipe; and by golly, please make your own crust!  it's so easy (i promise) and so very, very delicious.

homemade apple pie

crust:
* 2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
* 1/2 t. salt
* 1 c. butter flavored shortening, diced and chilled
* 6-8 T. ice water

- dice up your shortening and stick it in the freezer for a couple of minutes until it's nice and cold.
- combine flour and salt; cut in shortening until mixture resembles course crumbs.  add in ice water until a nice dough forms.  wrap in plastic wrap and place in fridge for at least an hour to chill.

filling:
* 8-9 apples, peeled and thinly sliced (i used a combination of macintosh and red delicious)
* 1/8 c. cornstarch
* 3/4 c. brown sugar
* 3/4 t. cinnamon
* 1/4 t. pumpkin pie spice

- combine everything and stir until apples are coated evenly
- roll out half of the pie crust dough on a floured surface and transfer into a greased pie plate.  fill with apple mixture and dot with 1 T. of butter.
- roll out second half of pie crust dough, and place ontop of apples.  pinch crusts together and fold under, crimping along the edges with your fingers. (optional: i like to jazz it up a bit and save a bit of extra crust dough to roll out and cut with leaf-shaped cookie cutters to arrange on the top of my crust.  just feels extra fancy).
- whisk an egg with a drizzle of water and brush the top of your pie.  bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes (depending on the heat of your oven, you may have to adjust the baking time a bit).

top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you've got a little bit of heaven on a plate.
enjoy!  happy fall :)