October Challenge: Apple Pie

Those who know me are going to be shocked that I'm posting a challenge that doesn't involve copious amounts of chocolate, but it is impossible to ignore apples in October. I have a special place in my heart for apple pie, as it is the only recipe my grandmother ever taught me to make before she passed away. I lived in Manhattan after college, and one of my friends took me apple-picking in upstate New York the first fall I lived there(thanks Pete!). I came home with way more apples than I knew what to do with. So, I got on the phone to my grandmother in Colorado and she walked me through making the crust (after a trip to the 3rd Avenue A&P to search for lard), the filling, and the streusel topping. I made four apple pies that night and proudly distributed them at work the next day. Every year since, I try to make a couple of apple pies in the fall.

I'll leave the recipes up to you all, since my recipe goes like this: for the pie crust, throw flour at a stick of lard until it feels right; for the filling, pile cinnamon and sugar and brown sugar on top of sliced apples until it looks right, and cover the whole thing with streusel - a mixture of a stick of butter, a cup of sugar, and a cup of flour chopped together with a knife. (Now can you see why I'm advising you to choose your own recipe?)

I know it disgusts some people, but I can't stress enough the difference lard makes in getting a flaky pie crust. :) Can't wait to see what you guys come up with, and I'm looking forward to lots of photos of delicious looking apple pies...