That apple pie Stacy often makes because Fernando loves apple pie

Fernando loves apple pie - the more sour, the better. So much so, that I try to make one and keep it in the fridge at least once a month. This is a recent phenomenon (my baking an apple pie monthly), and Fernando is an avid runner.

I wanted to add this first because it's been a few weeks since my last apple pie, and tomorrow is Valentine's day, so I thought it would be a romantic gift for him to celebrate with his beloved apple pie.

Here's a recipe that's been a pretty solid go to because it's no frills and requires very few ingredients.

Ingredients:

• ~ 6 tart, medium-sized apples (something like the classic Granny Smith) 
• 2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
• 2/3 cup of sugar 
• 1/4 cup of unsalted butter 
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch of ground nutmeg
• 2 pie crusts 
• 1 large egg (for brushing on the covering pie crust)

Sometimes Fernando prefers a crumble on top, in which case instead of 2 pie crusts, you'll only need 1 for the base and the crumble ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 12 tbsp of butter
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• dash of cinnamon 
• dash of salt 

Either topper, the instructions for the filling are the same. 

Steps:

1. Peel, halve and core the apples. You can slice the apples however thin you'd like, but I usually go for about 1/4 inch thick. 
2. In a medium mixing bowl, toss the apples with the lemon juice. Then add the sugar and combine to coat the apples evenly. 
3. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat and add the apples until the sugar dissolves. 
4. Cover the skillet and reduce the heat to a medium-low and cook the apples until they soften and release most of their juices for about 7 minutes. 
5. Strain the apples in a colander but make sure to save the juice. Return to the juice to the skillet and simmer over medium heat until it's thick and caramelized for about 10 minutes. 
6. In that medium mixing bowl toss the strained apples with the reduced juice and spices. You'll need to set this aside to cool completely. 
7. When the filling is cooled down, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 
8. Get your pie crust base down in a pie plate and pour in the apple filling, mounded slightly in the center. 
9. Place the topper pie crust over the filling and brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar. Don't forget to pierce the topper to allow for steam to escape. 
10. Bake the pie for about 50 minutes and allow to cool before serving. 

A few pies past:

A great visual resource: http://i.imgur.com/hEySxi4.jpg