Grandma's Apple Pie

Make the crust. Whisk the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the cold cubed butter and cut it in with a pastry cutter (or your fingertips) until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter.

Sprinkle the ice water over the mixture, one tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork until the dough just comes together. Don’t overwork it.

Divide the dough in half, shape each into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or overnight).

Make the filling. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). In a large bowl, toss the apple slices with the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice.

Roll out one disk of dough on a lightly floured surface to fit a 9-inch pie pan. Transfer to the pan, leaving the overhang.

Pile the apple filling into the crust and dot with the cold butter pieces.

Roll out the second disk and lay it over the top. Trim, fold the edges under, and crimp. Cut several vents in the top with a sharp knife.

Brush the top with a beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar if you have it.

Bake at 425°F for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375°F and bake for another 35–45 minutes, until the crust is deep golden and the filling bubbles through the vents.

Cool for at least 2 hours before slicing — this is the hard part, but it lets the filling set so you don’t get pie soup.