Simple Apple Pie

This weekend I was up in Syracuse to visit friends and go apple picking (one of my favorite fall activities). After a morning spent picking and tasting apples, drinking cider, eating donuts, and generally having fun, my friend Susana and I settled down to the (not too) hard work of making an apple pie. The recipe we used is very simple and quick to make - adjust the sugar and spices to your taste and to the apples you are using (we used jonagold apples - fairly sweet and crisp, with just a touch of tartness).

Simple Apple Pie (8 servings)
2 refrigerated pie crusts
6 cups apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1/3 - 2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 T. butter, cut into small pieces
a few pinches of flour

1. Preheat oven to 450F.

2. Place one pie crust in bottom of 9-inch pie plate and trim to edge of pie plate. Sprinkle flour lightly on crust.

3. Mix sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Spread a layer of apples in the pie plate, sprinkle sugar mixture, add another layer of apples and sugar, repeat until all apples and sugar mixture are used. Dot top layer with cut butter.

4. Unroll second pie crust and place on top of pie, fold edges under bottom crust and seal edge of pie. Cut 3-5 slits in pie crust to vent.

5. Bake for 10 minutes at 450F, reduce heat to 350F and continue baking for 30-35 minutes more.

6. Enjoy warm or cooled!