Apple Crumb Pie

Suzie makes the best apple crumb pie ever! I'm still trying to make mine turn out like hers - don't know if that will ever happen.

-Suzie Irwin

Basic Pie crust:

1 cup flour

1/3 cup lard/butter mixture (half lard, half butter) Crisco works too but lard will make it flakier

1/2 tsp salt

3 tbsp ice water

Whisk together salt and flour. Using a pastry blender (or 2 knives) cut in cold butter/lard, making small lumps. Add water one tbsp at a time. Mix with fork. Don't make you dough too wet. If you add too much water it will not be flaky. Pour out onto lightly floured surface. Mold into a disk with your hands, handling as little as possible. Roll out until it is large enough to fit into a 9' pie plate. Once in the plate, prick the crust with a fork.

Apple Crumb Pie:

Pie Filling:

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp.cinnamon

5-7 apples (I use Gala) peeled and sliced

butter

Crumb topping:

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup flour

1/3 cup butter (softened)

Mix apples, sugar and cinnamon and pour into unbaked pie crust. Cut several small slivers of butter and place throughout the apples (about 1- 2 tbsp). To make the crumb topping, cream together the butter, flour and sugar, use your hands to make it crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the apples. Bake at 400˚ for 30 minutes then cover the crust with foil and bake for 10 more minutes, until the crumbs are golden brown.