Cook The Book: Pecan Apple Rye Pie

1. 1

   Cook apples in a saucepan with apple juice until they soften, about 10 minutes. Drain apples in a colander. Mix together the eggs, sugar, corn syrups, butter, rye, vanilla, and salt until well blended. Set aside.

2. 2

   Heat the oven to 375u00b0F. Roll one ball of dough into two circles 2-3 inches wider in diameter than your pie shell or plate, and place one crust in the pie plate. Reserve the second dough in the refrigerator for a future use.

3. 3

   Using a fork, prick the sides and bottom of the crust at 1/2-inch intervals. Sprinkle the cooked apples over the pastry. Spread the pecans on top, and pour the egg-syrup mixture over them. Bake in a heated oven for 30-40 minutes, until just set but still slightly loose in the center. (The pie will finish cooking as it cools.) Remove from the oven, and cool on a trivet before serving.

4. 4

   With a pastry cutter or a fork, cut the shortening and salt into the flour until the mix is pebbly. Add the water and stir with a fork until the dough becomes somewhat sticky. Form dough into a ball, and then cut the ball in half, handling the dough as little as possible. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate, preferably for at least an hour.

5. 5

   In a liquid measuring cup, stir egg yolk with cider vinegar and enough warm water to reach the 1/2 cup mark. Set aside. Put flour, lard, and salt into a mixing bowl. Combine. Add egg mixture, stir, and form two balls. Place one between two sheets of plastic wrap and with a rolling pin press into a disk large enough to overlap the edges of your pie plate. Repeat with second dough ball. Refrigerate doughs for at least an hour.

6. 6

   Pulse flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor until blended. Add butter and shortening and pulse 12 to 14 times or until the mixture looks like clumpy sand. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and gradually spray in enough cold water to form a cohesive and evenly moistened dough that is still not sticky. Work quickly, tossing and stirring with a fork until dough begins to come together. Divide dough in two. Shape each half into a flattened round. Wrap in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. To prepare dough for the pie plate, lay down a sheet of wax paper. With a rolling pin, bang out the rounds into crusts, making initial impact at the centermost point before stroking quickly outward. Lift the pin each time before whacking it again. Ten or twelve spankings should do it. This crust recipe works well with just about any filling.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.