Maria's Double Crusted Apple Pie..Something Sweet For The Week End

There is nothing more common than an apple pie. But... it depends on who makes it. This apple pie has been in our family for years. All our friend and relatives love it. When they hear that Maria is making this apple pie they can't wait for the meal to finish so they can have a piece of it...and of course I am very proud of Maria! Here goes...
You will need:
Serves 8
For the filling:
-  6 Apples "Golden" peeled and thinly sliced.
-  ¾ cup caster sugar.
-  ¼ cup flour + 1 Tbsp or ¼ cup corn starch to absorb the extra apple fluids.
-  ½ tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
-  1½ tsp. cinnamon.
-  Juice of ½ lemon (optional) for a tangy flavor.
Method:
-  Combine all of the above in a bowl cover with plastic film and refrigerate until you prepare the crusts.
For the crusts:
-  2/3 cups + 2 Tbsp. butter or shortening.
-  2 cups all purpose flour.
-  5 Tbsp. cold water.
-  Pinch of salt.


Method:
-  Cut shortening into flour until you get a uniform dough.
-  Divide dough into two parts where one is more than the other in order to use for your base.
-  Spread with roller pin to fit a 30 cm non stick detachable pie mold.
-  Once you have spread your base dough in the mold and covered the side walls, add the apple filling.
-  Spread about 10 hazel nut size butter knobs over the apple filling.
-  For the upper crust spread dough with a roller pin and transfer using a clean kitchen towel or parchment paper.
-  Join the upper and lower crusts, and make small cuts into the surface of the pie. This is to let fluids evaporate.
-  Bake for 45 minutes in a preheated oven to 250 degrees C in the middle shelf of your oven.

Note: The success and the popularity of this pie is due to the thin and crunchy crusts. 

Serve warm with  vanilla ice cream or sprinkle some icing sugar on the surface.

Enjoy!
Stelio