Apple Pie Recipe

Apple Pie

from Killer Pies by Stephanie Anderson

Crust:

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch squares and frozen for 2 hours
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, cut into 1-inch squares and frozen for 2 hours
1 cup ice water

Filling

12 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup pecans
1 cup all-purpose flour

This and many other wonderful recipes may be found in
Killer Pies
by Stephanie Anderson from Chronicle Books

It's known as both the Plaza Restaurant and the Famous Plaza Café, but one thing is for certain: People in Santa Fe love the food served at 54 Lincoln Avenue. Situated smack-dab in the town square (known as the Plaza), the Famous Plaza Restaurant has been open since 1918. The current owners, the Razatos family, took it over in 1947, and the eatery has managed to retain its retro charm, while the scores of photographs of New Mexico remind patrons of its long, illustrious history.

Sure, America is the world's favorite melting pot, but the Famous Plaza Restaurant's menu might be a close second. Certainly much of the food is inspired by New Mexico's neighbors south of the border, but diners can just as easily order a Greek salad or an omelet as they can an enchilada. Many favorite dishes seem to be informed by an array of cultures-diner culture included. Hash browns, flapjacks, and what is widely considered the best cup of coffee in Santa Fe all converge at the Plaza.

The Plaza's apple pie is another fine example of cross-cultural gastronomy. At first glance, it looks like your standard American classic. But Plaza owner Andy Razatos and his family serve the pie with cajeta, a fresh, homemade variation of dulce de leche, a Latin counterpart to whipped cream. Cajeta, or caramelized sweetened milk, can be found in a Latino grocery or section of your local supermarket, but the Plaza recipe remains a well-guarded secret.

Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl or food processor. Add the butter and shortening and mix until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Add the water and mix just until the dough comes together. (The butter and shortening should still be visible.) Cut the dough into equal halves, flatten, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix all the filling ingredients together. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 half of the dough into a 1/8-inch-thick 10-inch round. Repeat for the top crust. Fit 1 pastry round into a 9-inch pie pan. Pour in the filling, forming it into a mound, then place the top crust on top. Press the edges of the bottom and top crusts together into a 1/2-inch lip standing up around the edge of the pan. Bend the lip of the dough into an evenly spaced fluted design. Mix together the egg and water to form an egg wash. Brush the top of the pie with the egg wash and sprinkle generously with brown sugar. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until the juices are bubbling. Top with cajeta. Makes one 9-inch double-crust pie.