Around holiday time–or for any family birthday, welcome home from college or so sorry you were in the hospital–I pull out my old white index card that holds the recipe for my grandmother’s apple pie. Thirty five years old and written in my mother’s handwriting, this burnt- in-the-corner, syrup stained card holds the magic potion for the perfect comfort food. Most of the ingredients are probably already in your kitchen, but the pie’s mysterious healing powers will only emerge once you put it in the oven.

Crumbly Top Apple Pie

First, preheat to 400 degrees.

Make a perfectly rolled out pie crust. I buy mine in the dairy section perfectly rolled in a red Pillsbury box, two crusts to a box. I have yet to get a complaint, or even an inkling, mine are not “from scratch,” but when asked for the pie’s recipe, which I invariably am, I give them this recipe for the crust. (Well, it IS my recipe.)

Pie Crust

3 C. flour
1 1/4 C. Crisco
1 tsp. salt

Sift above ingredients together. Then blend or cut in liquid ingredients that have been whisked together:

1 Tbsp. white vinegar
5 Tbsp. water
1 egg

Mix thoroughly but lightly and gently form into a soft ball. Place dough on a floured board and roll out into a circular crust. Place in a 9 inch glass or metal pie pan, fold under overlapping edges and crimp with left pointer finger knuckle and right thumb and pointer. If you don’t know how to do this, ask your mother, aunt or Grammy and they will. Save any extra crust.

Apples:

Peel, quarter and and cut into eighth inch slices, 6-7 Granny Smith apples. (Must be Grannies and must be green.) Place in a medium size bowl. In a smaller bowl mix:

1/2 C. white sugar
1 heaping tsp. cinnamon

Toss apples with sugar mixture in the larger bowl and let sit for 10 minutes until a light syrup forms. Put into unbaked pie crust and pour any extra syrup over the apple mixture.

Topping:

1/2 C. white sugar
3/4 C. flour
1/3 C. softened butter

Mix dry ingredients and cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Put on top of pie and pat gently to spread and cover pie. If you are channeling Martha Stewart, use any left over crust to make a pumpkin shape or a holly leaf and berries and place in center of pie. If not inspired, toss it. (The extra crust, not the pie!)

Bake at 400 degrees for ten minutes. Turn heat down to 350 degrees, cover loosely with foil and bake 40 minutes more or until bubbly and crust is golden brown. Cool on a trivet or cake rack. (I use the burners on my gas stove top.) Serve with or without ice cream.

If you under cook, don’t worry, it will be crunchy but still good and if you over cook, it will be “applesauce pie” which my dad liked even better…

Happy Holidays!