Apple-Pear Pie

Begin by making the bottom crust: Put a few ice cubes into a cup of water and set aside. Then stir together 2 1/2 cups of flour, 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in a wide bowl. Dice two sticks of very cold butter and spread it over the flour mixture. Mix the butter into the flour using a pastry cutter, or pulsing the mix in a food processor. Stop when the butter is the size of small peas – this is what makes your crust flaky and delicious! Then drizzle water – about 1/2 cup to start, into the mix, and gather the dough together. You will probably need more ice water to get the dough to form a ball, but add small amounts at a time! When the mixture can be formed into a ball, make two balls of dough and cover with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

For the filling, peel and core the fruit, and cut into quite thin slices (I cut each apple quarter into four slices, and had roughly the same size pear slices). Toss fruit with flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, vanilla, lemon juice and zest, and leave in bowl while you prepare the crust.

Remove it from the fridge and roll the crust out until it is about 1/2 inch thick, making sure to flour both the surface and the rolling pin quite a bit throughout the process. Roll the dough over the rolling pin and place in a greased pie pan, trim excess crust off and pile fruit and juices into the crust.

If making a double crusted pie, roll out the second half of the dough, place over top of the fruit, cut vents into the top, and seal with a fork around the edges. Or for a lattice top pie, cut the remaining dough into strips and weave them into a lattice. Seal the edges with a fork, and brush the top of the pie with the milk, then sprinkle with the extra tablespoon sugar and pinch of cinnamon.

Place in the oven and immediately reduce temperature to 375 F. Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, tenting with foil if the top is browning too quickly. When you take it out the crust should be golden and the filling bubbling.

Enjoy with ice cream, heavy cream, anything you want!