This apple pie recipe was created for a Thanksgiving section of Call Newspapers published in November 2001. It is one of those historic recipes I do based on some written reference to foods someone ate long ago — I made up this recipe based on my personal tastes and the writings of William Warmbrodt, a farmer in south St. Louis County in the late 1800s.

Apple Pie

Pie crust:

11⁄2 cups flour

1⁄2 cup butter

1⁄2 teaspoon of salt

cold water

Add salt to flour and work in butter with the tips of your fingers. Moisten the dough with cold water. Toss on surface spread with flour, pat and roll out; repeat. Use at once, or fold in cheesecloth, put in covered tin, and keep in cold place, but never in contact with ice. Form dough into two circular pieces.

Plain pie crust requires a moderate oven.

Filling:

4 or 5 apples

Pinch of salt

1⁄3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon of butter

1⁄8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon

Juice of one lemon

Zest from lemon peel

Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.

Grease a pie pan with butter. Line with pie crust. Pare, core and cut apples into eighths and then layer in pan. Mix sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, lemon juice, lemon zest and sprinkle over apples.

Dot with butter and wet edges of under  crust and cover everything with upper crust. Press edges together. Use fork to  poke steam vents in top crust, or cut designs out of crust freehand with sharp knife.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes in oven.