How to Make Perfect Piecrust

A crust made with lard or shortening is decidedly the most flaky, but not quite as tasty as an all-butter crust. Many bakers like to use half butter, half lard or shortening in their crusts to get the best of both worlds. 

The trick is to find an apple that won t dissolve into mushiness but isn t so crisp that it won t soften much at all. Super-crispy varieties such as SweeTango and Honeycrisp are bred to be eating apples, so don t cook with them. Look for deeply flavorful apples that aren t too watery (avoid Red or Golden Delicious for baking) and make sure they have a pronounced tartness. Best choices include Granny Smith, McIntosh, Macoun, and Northern Spy. 

Any good baker knows that baking is as much about science as it is intuition—chemistry is key. Here are a few truths about bakings big three. 

There are few desserts that go right to the heart like a freshly baked pie, and apple pie is the queen of American pastries. The classic piecrust in this recipe makes one double-crust pie or two open-top pies. You can also use it for quiches or savory tarts. 

6 to 8 medium-size apples (see The Best Apples for Pie, opposite page), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced V2 cup granulated sugar 

---