I just love apple pie! Since a child, it has been my favorite dessert, and I have been on a quest to create a "Simply Perfect Apple Pie" for more than 25 years. My grandmother was a fine baker and I eagerly awaited her apple pies each fall. I began pie-making with her recipe. Yet, as my palate became more sophisticated over the years, I yearned for a pastry crust that zinged, that was tender, buttery but not crumbly or pasty, and for a filling I wanted apples that sang in my mouth, not mushy nor watery, but slightly tangy without puckering. In essence, a pie that could stand on its own merit before being crowned or cloaked in any cream, be it iced or whipped. Drum Roll! *** Recipe From Renée Adler Aschers Kitchen *** "Simply Perfect Apple Pie" The Pastry - For one 9-inch or 10-inch double crust Ingredients; 9 tbs. chilled unsalted butter 6 tbs. (1/4 cup) chilled vegetable shortening (Crisco) 1 1/2 tsp. sea salt 2 cups all-purpose flour (measured after sifting 1 cup whole wheat flour* (see note) (measured after whisking lightly to loosen) Dash of ground nutmeg 1/2 cup ice cold water (more added as needed, a teaspoon at a time) * I prefer to use Arrowhead Mills® Whole Grain Pastry Flour (readily available at specialty or health food stores in the Tri-State area) Pie Crust Instructions: NOTE: For the best crust, be sure to use a glass pie plate (Pyrex) Processor method (Preferred) Put flour and salt in processor with steel blade and pulse on and off 2 times. Add butter cut into several pieces and process 5 times. Add shortening to processor bowl and pulse on and off again until mixture resembles coarse meal with many pieces on the large side. Add the 1/2-cup of water and pulse no more than 9 to 10 times or until the dough just begins to gather together. Add more water one-tablespoon at a time if necessary. Quickly remove, gather loose pieces together, and form into disks dividing dough making one part slightly larger for bottom of double crust pie. Wrap in plastic. Refrigerate at least one hour, or overnight. If chilled more than one hour, it is important to soften dough at room temperature a short time until workable before rolling. (Hand method Combine flours & salt in bowl. Cut butter and shortening into dry ingredients using 2 knives or working quickly with fingers until mixture resembles coarse meal with some large sized pieces. Add 1/2-cup water, tossing with a fork. If needed, add more water a teaspoon at a time until dough holds together and forms a ball. Divide dough as above, refrigerate.) Meanwhile make filling The Filling for a 9" to 10" pie depending on preference for a thicker or thinner filling Ingredients: 5 to 6 large Granny Smith apples (about 2-1/2 lbs.) peeled, quartered, cored, and sliced approximately 1/4-inch thick 1 tbs. strained lemon juice 3/4 cup sugar 1 tsp. ground cinnamon Large dash of freshly grated nutmeg (or powdered) Dash sea salt 2 tbs. flour 2 tbs. unsalted butter Sugar for sprinkling crust Preheat oven to 400º Mix apple slices with lemon juice Mix together the sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and flour; add to apple slices, and stir to coat evenly Roll out the bottom pie crust (as above) Line pie plate with bottom pastry Fill with apple mixture, dot with butter. Roll out top crust Moisten rim of bottom pastry, adjust top crust Cut slits for steam to escape, seal and flute Decorate, if desired with motifs cut from pastry dough and moistened on the underside before placing. Sprinkle top with sugar Place on a thin baking sheet. Bake in the center of the oven about 50 to 55 minutes. Test with pick for tenderness of apples. Cook additional time as needed, testing every 5 minutes until done Watch crust, if necessary cover edges carefully with foil to prevent burning if cooked beyond 50 min.

I can't get huckleberries here but blueberries work well. Try adding a little cinnamon to the flour when you make your pie crust, too for any apple pie: APPLE HUCKLEBERRY(or blueberry)PIE WITH FRENCH CRUMB TOPPING Pastry for 9" pie crust Filling: 5 cups pared & thinly sliced tart apples 1 cup huckleberries or blueberries 3/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup flour 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg 1/2 tsp cinnamon Topping: 1 stick firm butter 1 cup flour 1/2 cup packed brown sugar Preheat oven to 375°. Fit the pastry into a 9" pie plate & flute the edges. Combine the filling ingredients & spoon into the pie shell. To make the topping, cut the butter into the flour with a pastry blender until crumbly. Toss with the brown sugar. Sprinkle the topping over the pie filling. Bake 50 minutes. Cover w/aluminum foil the last 10 minutes if the top browns too quickly.~~ From Gold'n Delicious. SPECIAL APPLE PIE Pastry for a 10" pie Filling: 1 2/3 cups sour cream 3/4 cup sugar 1/3 cup flour 1 egg 2 tsp vanilla 1/4 tsp salt 8 McIntosh apples, peeled, cored & sliced Topping: 1 cup chopped walnuts 1/2 cup flour 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1 TBL cinnamon Pinch of salt 1/4 cup butter, softened slightly Beat the sour cream, sugar, flour, egg, vanilla & salt. Stir in the apples & pour into the prepared crust. Bake in a preheated 450° oven for 10 minutes, reduce the temperature to 350° & continue baking until the filling is slightly puffed & golden brown, about 45 minutes. For the topping: Combine the walnuts, flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon & salt in a small bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over the pie. Bake 15 minutes more.~~

Here's my "fake" apple pie for my apple pie loving hubby. It's more-or-less a cooked applesauce with topping of choice. ORANGE SAUCED APPLES 2-3 T. brown sugar 1 T. cornstarch 1/4 t. nutmeg 1 c. orange juice 2 medium cooking apples, thinly sliced * see note below In medium skillet, combine brown sugar, cornstarch, nutmeg and orange juice; blend well. Stir in apple slices. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat. Cover; simmer 5-10 minutes or until apples are tender and sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally. Serve warm. Yield: 4 (1/2-cup) servings. Microwave Directions: In a 2-quart microwave-safe bowl, combine brown sugar, cornstarch, nutmeg and orange juice; blend well. Stir in apple slices; cover tightly. Microwave on HIGH for 6-7 minutes or until apple slices are tender and sauce is thickened, stirring once halfway through cooking. Grainlady notes: *I generally use 3-4 Jonathan or small Granny Smith apples, there's plenty of sauce to accommodate that many apples - make it with or without the apple peel - your choice. I have also used dehydrated (at home) apples slices to make this recipe. I often use 3/4 c. juice, instead of 1 c. called for in the recipe. I serve it topped with homemade granola or high-protein, low-sugar homemade Gluten Crunch, or other kinds of crunchy cereal (like Grape Nuts or Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Cereal) would work. Substitute low-glycemic agave nectar or non-calorie sweeteners for the sugar. I've also use almost any kind of fruit juice I have in the refrigerator. Old Orchard Apple Cherry works well (makes the apples nice and rosy-pink), as does apple cider or apple juice. Apricot nectar is very good as well. Instead of nutmeg I often use apple pie spice mix. You can also make small pastry cut-outs, bake them, and serve a pastry cut-out on the top of the dessert. -Grainlady

I did some searching for a friend who wanted one without the sw.condensed milk and luckily found these recipes. Quite similar but slight variation in amounts?!! http://southernfood.about.com/od/keylimepies/r/blbb684.htm Key Lime Pie Recipe From Diana Rattray, Your Guide to Southern Food. This Key Lime Pie is made with cooked filling. INGREDIENTS: * 3 large eggs * 1 cup granulated sugar * 1/4 cup all-purpose flour * 3 tablespoons cornstarch * 1/4 teaspoon salt * 2 cups water * 1 tablespoon butter * 1/4 cup key lime juice * finely grated peel of 1 lime * 1 pie shell, 9-inch, baked * 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar * 5 tablespoons sugar PREPARATION: Separate eggs; set whites aside. Beat egg yolks in a small mixing bowl. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the 1 cup sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt; gradually stir in the water. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Gradually stir about 1/3 of the mixture into the beaten egg yolks; stir mixture into the remaining hot mixture in the pan. Continue cooking over low heat, stirring, two minutes. Stir in the butter, lime juice and peel and cool slightly. Pour into the baked pastry shell and cool. Top with meringue and brown in the oven. Meringue Topping: Beat egg whites until light and frothy. Add the 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar and continue beating until the whites are stiff enough to hold a peak. Gradually beat in 5 tablespoons sugar and beat until the meringue is stiff and glossy. Pile the meringue lightly on cooled pie filling, spreading it until it all the way to edges of the pastry to prevent the meringue shrinking. Bake in a preheated 425 oven until the top is brown, 5-6 minutes. Key Lime Pie Recipe From Diana Rattray, Your Guide to Southern Food. More Key Lime pie recipes below. INGREDIENTS: * 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar * 1/3 cup cornstarch * 1/2 teaspoon salt * 1/4 cup cold water * 1 1/2 cups hot water * 6 tablespoons lime juice or key lime juice * 3 eggs, separated * 3 tablespoons butter * 2 teaspoons fresh grated lime peel * 1 pastry shell, 9 inch * 6 tablespoons sugar * dash salt PREPARATION: In a saucepan over low heat, combine 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/3 cup cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 cup cold water. Mix well; add hot water. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until very thick. Remove from heat; stir in lime juice and return to heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Beat egg yolks lightly. Beat in about 1/3 cup of the hot mixture; stir egg yolk mixture to the saucepan mixture and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes longer. Add butter and lime peel and let cool. Pour cooled mixture into baked pie shell. Beat egg whites until stiff; gradually beat in the 6 tablespoons of sugar and dash of salt. Spread meringue over top of key lime pie. Bake key lime pie for 20 minutes at 300°, until nicely browned. Sandy's Key Lime Pie From Diana Rattray, Your Guide to Southern Food. A favorite key lime pie recipe from Sandy. INGREDIENTS: * 3 egg yolks * 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar * 1/4 tsp. Salt (which I never use) * 1/3 cup cornstarch * 2 cups water * 2 tbs. butter * 1/3 cup lime juice * 1 tbs. grated lime peel * Few drops green food coloring * 3 egg whites, at room temperature * 3 egg whites, at room temperature * pinch of salt (which I never use) * 4 tbs. granulated sugar * 1 baked 9-inch pie shell PREPARATION: 1.Beat egg yolks & set aside. 2.Combine sugar, salt & cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Gradually add water and stir well with a whisk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, & boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add a quarter of the mixture to the egg yolks & stir to prevent eggs from cooking. Return to hot mixture, add butter and lime juice; stir well. Return saucepan to stove and boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add peel and food coloring. Pour into pie shell. Place egg whites, cream of tartar & salt in a medium bowl & beat until foamy; beat in 1/4 cup sugar and continue to beat till the sugar dissolves & meringue is stiff. Cover pie filling with meringue, spreading it to the crust. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes or till very lightly browned. Cool and enjoy. My family loves this one! Shared by Sandy