AApple pie one of the most fragrant, universal, simple yet delicious pastries!

For me, apple pie is as much a dessert as it is an emblem of teenage memories- an anchor to herald the end of mischievous party nights with my sister and a beginning of a Sunday at the safe port of our family home.

On these Sunday mornings, an apple pie was a gentle alarm for the senses. The luscious scent would creep up the stairs, crouch under my bedroom door, tease me to wake up. Perhaps I would smile in my sleep at the blessing of growing up in such a home where Saturdays filled with teenage rebellion eased into early Sundays filled with sounds from the kitchen where my mom orchestrated an ordinary day into family brunch bliss.

Sometimes half awake, I would hear distant clamoring and imagine my mom’s slim cool hands cutting apples. The same hands that would pat my forehead when I had a fever. So much love in every move. Most of the time, we probably don’t notice these little moments and movements, but they have a way of coming back on waves of memory when least expected.

A jar of seashells, sweaty t-shirt, dirt, don’t get hurt, dust- why do these things last?

There is something about the time, distance, in and out of watercolor memories in which the little pie becomes a part of a bigger universe- a premise of closeness, the building block of togetherness, a Proustian vehicle, wrapping the intricacies of love in golden crumbs.

AApple Pie Recipe

For the pastry

2½ cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon superfine sugar
½ pound unsalted butter (cut into pieces)
1 small glass water

For the filling
8 peeled, cored, chunked or sliced green apples
½ cup superfine sugar
½ juice of lemon
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pinch of nutmeg (or more if prefer)
1 tablespoon flour
cold, diced unsalted butter
1 egg (beaten with 2tbsp heavy cream for eggy glaze sugar)

Directions
Place flour, salt and sugar in bowl and mix while adding chopped cold butter. Stop when mixture is coarse and crumbly.
Add a little bit of water until dough holds together.
Wrap dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Filling: Preheat oven to 375(190). Toss together apples, lemon juice, sugar, spices and flour. Roll out half of dough and line a heat resistant pie plate. Spoon in filling and dot with extra cold butter.
Roll out or crumble other half of dough and place over pie plate. Poke holes for steam vents with fork or make slits with knife. Brush with eggy glaze sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for 50-60 minutes until nice and brown. Let it cool and serve.