Deep Dish Apple Pie

I find no other dessert says "fall" as much as apple pie. The spicy aroma of this dessert wafting through my house always transports me to my childhood, of the crisp days of fall and enjoying a piece of apple pie a la mode with my grandfather. He has always loved apple pie!

This recipe is probably much like the ones we all grew up with, but with one exception: it is made in a springform pan instead of a standard pie plate. The result is any crust lover's idea of heaven: a crusty, browned pie overflowing with apple deliciousness! Enjoy!

Deep Dish Apple Pie (adapted from Relish Magazine)

Crust:
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3⁄4 cup vegetable shortening
6 to 7 tablespoons ice water

Filling:
4 pounds tart apples (such as Granny Smith), peeled, cored and sliced
½ cup all-purpose flour
1½ cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
Cinnamon-sugar (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. To prepare the crust, mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut in shortening using a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time. Stir gently and gather into two balls, one about twice as large as the other.
3. Roll out larger ball on a lightly floured surface until it is large enough to cover the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan, with about 2 inches of overhang. Roll the smaller dough ball into a 9-inch circle.
4. To prepare the filling, combine apples, flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt; toss well. Spoon into prepared crust. Sprinkle pieces of butter on top. Place top crust over filling. Fold overhang evenly around the top crust. Cut 10 to 12 slits in top crust. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar if desired. Bake about 1 hour or until crust is deep golden and the filling oozes through the slits.