President Barack Obama's Favorite Apple Pie

1. Stage

In a food processor, briefly pulse together the flour and 1/2 tsp salt. Add butter and pulse until mixture forms chickpea-size pieces. Add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time and pulse until mixture is just moist enough to hold together. (For a more traditional pie crust, you can replace 1 oz. of the butter with 1 oz. lard which gives the crust flavor and a crisp snap when baked.)

2. Stage

Divide the dough into two equal amounts and form dough into balls.  Press down into circles and wrap the circles with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour before rolling out and lining the pie pan.

3. Stage

To prepare the pie shell, roll out the two pieces of chilled down on a lightly floured flat surface to rounds about 14” diameter. Use one of the rounds to line a greased pie pan, leaving a 1" overhang. Chill the dough in the pie pan for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight. Refrigerate the other round until needed for the pie top.

4. Stage

To bake bottom crust, preheat oven to 375°. Remove the pie pan with the bottom crust from the refrigerator, fold the edge of the overhang under itself, and pinch the dough to form a fluted edge. Place aluminum foil directly onto the crust and fill with baking weights, rice, or navy beans to hold it in place.

5. Stage

Bake the pie shell for 30 minutes.

6. Stage

Remove from oven and take out the foil and baking weights, allow pie shell to cool.

7. Stage

In a large saucepan, lightly toss together fruit, sugar sifted with cornstarch, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, and lemon juice and zest. Allow this fruit mixture to stand for 20 minutes.

8. Stage

Preheat the oven to 375°. Place the saucepan over medium heat and heat the fruit mixture, stirring occasionally until it comes to a boil about 10 minutes, and the mixture has thickened slightly. Watch that the fruit does not stick to the bottom of the saucepan. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl to cool.

9. Stage

Mix the egg and 1 tsp. salt and, using a pastry brush, paint the rim of the pre-baked pie shell. Fill with the semi-cooked fruit filling and then remove the second round of chilled pie dough from the refrigerator and lay it over the filling, pressing very gently around the edges to make sure the egg wash seals the top pie dough to the bottom pre-baked crust. With a paring knife, puncture the top pie dough in a wide circle about 10 times with the tip of the knife to form steam vents. With a pastry brush, paint the top dough with the remaining egg wash and sprinkle with granulated sugar.

10. Stage

Bake the pie for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the pie filling is starting to bubble out the vents and the top pie crust is golden brown. Remove to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 1 to 2 hours before serving.