6 - 8applesBraeburn, Fuji, Gala, or Golden Delicious
¼cupflour
1tspcinnamon
1cupsugar
Topping
1egg white
1tblsugar
Instructions
Filling
Peel, core, and slice apples into large bowl.
In a small bowl or cup, mix cinnamon, sugar, and ¼ cup flour. Pour onto apples and toss until apples are coated. Set apples aside while making the crust.
Crust
Mix flour and salt together. Add shortening and cut in using a fork, two knives, your hands, food processor, or a mixer until mixture is crumbly.
Drop the egg yolk (reserve the egg white for later) into a measuring cup and beat slightly. Add milk to egg until it measures ⅔ cup.
Pour milk into flour mixture, stirring until completely moistened and it forms a dough. Do not overwork the dough; the more it's handled, the tougher the crust will be when baked. Divide dough almost in half, leaving one slightly larger than the other.
Bottom Crust
Sprinkle flour onto a clean, dry, flat surface and rub a rolling pin with flour. Roll out the larger dough half into a circle. If the dough sticks, sprinkle with more flour, but not too much, as this will also create a tougher baked crust. The circle should measure two inches larger in diameter than the top of your pie pan. (About 11 inches for a 9" pan; 10 inches for an 8" pan.)
Carefully roll dough up as if for cinnamon rolls, but keeping it loose. Lift rolled dough onto edge of pie plate and carefully unroll onto the rest of the pan. Press into bottom and sides of pan, patching any tears as needed. Trim edge, leaving at least ½ inch dough overlapping the pan's edge.
Fill bottom crust with the prepared apple slices. The filling should be flush or slightly higher than the edge of the pan. Make sure the slices are lying flat.
Top Crust
Roll out second half of dough using the same method as the bottom crust. Once again, loosely roll up circle of dough to make it easier to transfer to the pie plate. Once it's centered on the apples, trim it to the same ½ inch as the bottom crust.
Press pie crust edges together, fold it over once, and crimp all the way around.
Topping
Slightly whisk remaining egg white. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg white onto the top crust, just enough to wet the crust. (Discard any leftover egg white.)
Sprinkle crust with a tablespoon of sugar.
Bake in a 375°F oven for 50 minutes, or until apples are tender.