CLASSIC APPLE PIE

1 stick (8 Tbs.) butter
4 Tbs. vegetable shortening
2-1/4 cups bleached all-purpose flour
2 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. salt
8 Tbs. (4 ounces) very cold cream cheese, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/3 cup ice water
1 egg white for pastry wash
2 Tbs. sugar

Prepare Perfect Apple Pie Filling; refrigerate filling until ready to assemble pie.
Adjust oven rack to lowest position and preheat to 400 degrees. Optional:
Line oven rack with four 9-inch quarry tiles, or use a pizza stone to help brown bottom crust. If using pizza stone or tiles, heat oven for 30 minutes. -
Quarter butter lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Cut shortening into the same size pieces. Freeze both, separately, until hard.
Combine flour, sugar and salt in a food processor with the metal blade. Add frozen butter; using your fingers, carefully toss to break up butter cubes and coat with flour. Pulse 4 or 5 times, 1 long second each time. Break off, cold pieces of cream cheese and frozen shortening, and add to flour mixture; toss to coat. Pulse another
4 or 5 times, 1 long second each, until fats are pea and pebble size. Add water; pulse twice( 1 long second each, to distribute the water (dough will not have come together yet):
Dump mixture into a bowl; press pieces with palm of hand until there's a cohesive ball of dough. Halve it, making 1 portion slightly bigger than the other. Wrap each in plastic wrap; flatten each into a thick disk. Refrigerate at least 2: hours (can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 2 months).
Set larger dough disk on a floured work surface; roll into a 14-inch circle. Fold dough in half, set pie plate next to fold line, and quickly lift onto pie plate and unfold. Press dough into pan sides so it fits in pan and is not stretched. Trim excess pastry; spoon in cooled filling.
Roll remaining dough into a 12-inch circle. Fold in half, quickly lift dough onto filling and unfold. Trim all around to 1 inch beyond the pan lip. Roll overhanging dough under with fingertips so that it is flush with pan lip. With fingers, flute (pinch) dough all around and cut vents in the top.
Set an 18-inch square of heavy,duty foil on oven rack (or on tiles or pizza stone). Set pie on foil and bake until dough starts to color, about 20 minutes. Brush top with egg wash, sprinkle with 2 Tbs. sugar and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes longer. Bring foil around pie to loosely cover edges. Bake until filling bubbles,15 to 20 minutes longer. Coo1 on a wire rack.

SERVES 10

Perfect Apple Pie Filling
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
4 pounds crisp, firm apples, such as Granny Smith, cored, peeled and sliced 1/2-inch thick (a heaping 12 cups)
4 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs, cornstarch
2 Tbs. brandy (optional)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup water

Mix sugar, cinnamon and salt; toss with apples. Heat butter in a 12-inch-deep skillet over medium-high heat until it looks a pale nutty brown, Add apple mixture; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples soften and release their juices, about
7 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook until juices thicken to a light syrup, 1 to 2 minutes longer, Meanwhile, whisk cornstarch, optional brandy and vanilla into 1 cup of water; stir into apple mixture until it thickens (less than a minute). Transfer apples to a jelly roll pan to cool quickly; refrigerate or set in a cool place until apples cool to room temperature.