Apple Pie (Irish)

Jane Austen said "Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness". I would agree. This is a quick, frustration-free pie. All the goodness, none of the fuss. Only one crust to roll, and it doesn't have to be perfectly round, in fact, it is more charming if it has an uneven edge. It comes together in half the time and you don't even need a pie plate if you don't have one. You could make it in a cast iron pan.

Crust:
1½ cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
¾ tsp. sea salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
½ cup shortening
5-7 Tbsp. water, ice cold

Filling:
4 large tart apples, such as McCoun, Cortland, McIntosh or Granny Smith, peeled, cored and sliced
½ cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp. butter

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C, Gas Mark 5).

For the Crust:
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, salt and sugar. With a pastry blender, or two butter knives, cut in the shortening until pieces are the size of small peas. With a fork, start tossing the flour while sprinkling on the ice water, 1 Tbsp. at a time. Add water until dough is just moist enough to hold together well. Form dough into a ball. Place on a well-floured surface. Flatten ball slightly and smooth the edges. Using a rolling pin, roll into a circle, roughly 12" in diameter.

For the Pie:
Fit pastry circle into a pie plate, or 10" cast iron pan. Pile sliced apples onto crust. Sprinkle with sugar and spices, dot with butter, and fold the pastry edges over the apples.

Bake for 45-55 minutes or until apple filling is bubbly and crust is golden.

Cool slightly and slide the pie out of the dish onto a serving plate. Before serving, dust with confectioner's sugar. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Makes 1 pie.