Randy, in the Baking Circle, performed exhaustive experiments to achieve the very best applie pie. He used varying weights and measurements, then used various baking temperature combinations. Here are the delicious results. If you follow his instructions very carefully, you will taste one of the best applie pies you've ever had! To do the crust in your KitchenAid stand mixer, click here to view a good video of how this works.

CRUST:
12 oz White Lily all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon white sugar
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup Crisco, zero transfat (green label)
4.1 oz ice water
(Note: This exact amount of water is for White Lily all-purpose flour only. If you use any other brand all-purpose flour, the quantity of water may change.)

· Weigh the flour in the mixing bowl.
· Add the sugar.
· Add the salt.
· Run the KitchenAid mixer on stir speed with the paddle attachment for a couple of minutes.
· Stop the mixer and remove bowl from mixer.
· Add the Crisco to the bowl.
· Place bowl with the paddle in the freezer.
· Take butter from refrigerator and slice into whole tablespoon pats.
· Prepare the ice water.
· Remove bowl from freezer.
· Add the butter.
· Bump mixer a couple of times to prevent slinging out flour, The shield will help.
· Let the mixer run on stir speed until the butter is the size of marbles and big lima beans, then add chilled water pretty quickly as the mixer runs on stir speed until the dough starts clumping and clinging to the beater. That is it.
· Divide in half, wrap each half in plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator while you prepare the apples. Should be around 20 minutes.

PREPARE APPLES:
2 pounds uncut Golden Delicious, or Empire apples or Jonagold (I prefer Golden Delicious)
1/4 cup raw or Turbinado sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon, loosely filled, Vietnamese cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon apple pie spice
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoons butter. cut up

· Wash, peel and cut the apples.
· In a large bowl mix together All ingredients including the butter.

ROLL OUT CRUST:
· Roll first crust out to 12" diameter for a 9" pan (I prefer pyrex).
· Place in glass pie dish, making sure the dough is down against the pan.
· Cut dough even with outside edge for the bottom. Add leftover dough to the bottom of the 2nd dough ball.
· Roll out top crust to 12" diameter. Place on pie and cut dough leaving one half inch too one inch over hang.
· Pull bottom dough up from the pan the outside edge of the bottom crust all the way around.
· Turn top edge under bottom crust and press together.
· Use fork to seal.
· Slice a few steam vents in the top crust. Place in refrigerator at least ½ hour or longer if you need too.

BAKING THE PIE:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
· Place a drip catcher on the next rack below the pie if you have one.
· Just before placing pie into the 450 F. oven, apply a very wet coat of 2 % milk to the top of crust. Avoid putting milk on the outside edge.
· As soon as the pie goes in, reduce the oven heat to 350° F, do not wait.
· Check at 50 minutes, but it may take an hour or a little more. Bake it until it’s as brown as you like.
· Let sit for at least an hour.

If you have questions for Randy, you may e-mail him at piebaker1685@yahoo.com