According to the American Pie Council, one out of every five Americans prefer apple pie.  Pumpkin, pecan, banana cream and cherry round out the top five most popular pies, according to a survey conducted by Crisco.   There’s no doubt apple pie is beloved in the United States, right up there with baseball, grandma, and the good ol’ red, white and blue!   With Thanksgiving right around the corner, pumpkin pie may move up the list a bit but I’m guessing your family won’t mind if you brought a homemade double crust apple pie instead to your Thanksgiving extravaganza.

Apple pie is, by far, my favorite to make because each and every pie turns out unique, with character all its own. If you’ve never tried making an apple pie, then allow me a moment to argue on its behalf.  This is the year you can surprise your family with this amazingly wonderful, simple dessert.  It’s not a one bowl deal, but it’s so much easier than you might think.  You don’t have to make homemade pie crust if you’re ‘crust-a-phobic’ … just buy a package of refrigerated pre-made pastry and give it a go!

Julia Child said we should be “fearless in the kitchen.”   She was right!  If you can peel and slice an apple (or eight), you can make this wonderful double crust apple pie. I bake a lot, and know that sometimes it takes a few tries to get everything just perfect.  But this apple pie is not difficult to make and it’s worth the effort.

This particular pie ended up super thick (a/k/a fat and chunky) but you can make it thinner if you want (make it fat!  You won’t be sorry.)  It’s a little more difficult to cut and serve, but if the apples fall out, serve it in a bowl, with ice cream, of course.  If you allow the pie to cool to room temperature, it will hold together much better.

Serve with a slice of cheddar cheese (really – it’s delicious) or ice cream.  Dulce de Leche or vanilla are my favorite ice cream flavors to serve with apple pie.  Enjoy!

Here are a few more pie recipes you might enjoy:

Chocolate Cream Pie Peppermint Pie  Apple Slab Pie Pumpkin – Caramel Pie  Fresh Peach Pie