Grandma's Apple Pie

My momma duck has started to lay eggs.  She usually starts around this time laying an egg each day in a hollowed out spot on the floor in the chicken coupe.  She isn't serious about having any babies at this point, and certainly doesn't sit on them yet.  That won't happen until around June.  That's when she usually makes a nest in the iris patch, lining it with grass, feathers she has pulled from her own chest as well as feathers from around the yard discarded by the chickens.  Then she will lay a clutch of eggs, one each day until there are about 6 or 8.  At this point, she will sit on them day and night (I put a large dog kennel around her to keep the skunks away!) and will hiss at me when I get too close.  The male ducks stay pretty close during the day, but they seem to understand that she is well protected at night and will leave her to go into the chicken coupe when it gets dark.  It takes 34 days for her eggs to hatch (She is a Rouen duck).  Usually only one or two actually hatch as not all of them are fertile.  It is so much fun to watch her teach her new babies to swim in the horse trough.

It was another blustery day, and a good day to use up some of the apples that were left from picking last fall.  Apples keep quite well if constantly refrigerated, and the Golden Delicious and Spartans have only just become a little wilted.  So apple pie was in order.  Here is how to make my grandmother's pie crust and apple pie filling:

Apple pie Filling:

Depending on the size of your pie plate (I like a 10 inch Deep Dish plate) you will need 4 or 5 large apples.  Peel core and cut up apples into small pieces and place in a medium bowl.  Add the following:

1 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Allspice
1/4 tsp cloves
3 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar

Stir together and set aside  Make the crust as below:
 
Grandma Toftner's Pie Crust:

Each recipe makes one crust - for a double crust pie (such as apple) double the recipe.  

1 cup all purpose flour, sifted
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp shortening (I only use Crisco brand)
3 tbsp ice water

Using a pastry cutter combine the flour, salt and shortening until well blended in the medium bowl.  Add ice water a little at a time while stirring with a butter knife and just until blended.  Do not stir too much and only add as much water as needed to get the flour mixture to stick together.  This should be slightly dry while not having excess flour left in the bottom of the bowl.  Place in refrigerator while making the filling, or for at least 10 - 15 minutes.  Roll out on a lightly floured surface, taking care to not work the dough too much as this will make it hard and less flaky.  Fold the dough in half, place in a greased pie plate and open out.  Lightly press the dough to fit the pie plate.  The bottom crust should always be thicker than the top crust.  Fill with the apple mixture above and add the top crust.  Cut a few slits in the top crust, trim the excess with a butter knife, flute the edges and bake at 350 for an hour.  Top with ice cream or whipped cream and Enjoy!!