5 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 recipe Perfect Pie Crust, recipe follows
6 tablespoons butter
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In large bowl, stir together the apples, brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, salt and lemon juice. Set aside and see how long you can keep from sneaking a slice of apple.

With a rolling pin, begin rolling out the Perfect Pie Crusts into large circles. Roll the dough from the center outward. Be gentle and patient, it’ll take a little time to get the dough completely rolled out.

If you think the bottom is really sticking to the surface below, use a nice, sharp spatula to loosen the dough and sprinkle some extra flour on top. Then flip it over to finish rolling. Remember to roll from the center in single, outward strokes, no back-and-forth rolling.

Again with a spatula, loosen and lift the dough and carefully place the circles on large baking sheets.

Place half the apple mixture on one crust and the other half on the other crust. Fold over the edges of each crust so that it covers 2 to 3 inches of the apple mixture. No need to be artistic – the more rustic the better. Dot the tops of the pies with chunks of the butter.

Bake until the filling is golden and bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. If the crust appears to brown too quickly, cover the edges with aluminium foil for the remaining baking time.

Allow to cool slightly, then slice into wedges with a pizza cutter. Eat ’em on the go!

Perfect Pie Crust:
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks cold butter
3/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 egg
5 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add in the butter and shortening. Using a pastry cutter, gradually work the butter and shortening into the flour until the mixture resembles tiny pebbles. This step should take 3 or 4 minutes.

Lightly beat the egg with a fork, and then add it to the mixture. Next, add in the cold water and vinegar. Stir the mixture together until it’s just combined, and then remove half the dough from the bowl. Yield: dough for 2 crusts.

Chef Jacques Pépin remembers well the famous apple tart his mother made every day as a dessert offering in her small Lyons restaurant, Le Pélican. Unlike any other dough, hers achieved its tender, crumbly, airy texture from the combination of vegetable shortening, baking powder and warm milk mixed with the flour. He hopes you enjoy this taste he associates with food memories from his youth.

DOUGH

1. 1/4 cup milk
2. 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3. 1 teaspoon sugar
4. 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
5. 1/8 teaspoon salt
6. 6 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening, such as Crisco

FILLING

1. 2 pounds sweet medium apples, such as Golden Delicious
2. 3 tablespoons sugar
3. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
4. In a small pan, heat the milk to lukewarm. In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the shortening and mix with a spoon or with your hands until the mixture feels and looks sandy. Add the warm milk and mix rapidly until the dough forms a ball.
5. 1. In a small pan, heat the milk to lukewarm. In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the shortening and mix with a spoon or with your hands until the mixture feels and looks sandy. Add the warm milk and mix rapidly until the dough forms a ball.
   2. Roll the dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap to an 11- to 12-inch round. Remove the top piece of plastic and, using the bottom piece, invert the dough into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom; peel off the remaining plastic.
   3. Preheat the oven to 400°. Peel, quarter and core the apples. Cut them into 1-inch-thick wedges. Arrange the apple wedges in a concentric circle on the dough and sprinkle evenly with the sugar and butter.
   4. Set the tart on a baking sheet and bake for about 1 hour, or until the apples are tender and the pastry is golden. Cover the tart loosely with foil after 45 minutes to prevent over-browning. Cut the tart into wedges and serve warm.

   Serve with salted carmel sauce

   MAKE AHEAD The dough can be refrigerated for up to 1 day.

• Unsalted Butter for greasing dish
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1 1/3 cups Sugar
• 1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1 Granny Smith Apple (cored; peeled and diced; 1 cup)
• 1 cup chopped Pecans
• 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
• 2 tablespoons Whole Buttermilk or Sour Cream

• Preheat the oven to 325F. Grease a 2-quart baking dish.
• In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk until they’re creamy and frothy. Add the sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, apple, pecans, and vanilla, whisking to combine after each addition.
• Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 45 minutes, or until the top of the torte is crusty. Remove the torte from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes.
• Whip the cream with the buttermilk until stiff peaks form. Cut into individual portions – they will be lumpen and misshapen, with shards of crust and spoonfuls of ooze, but no matter – and serve with dollops of the whipped cream.