Granny's Country Apple Pie

So you’ve all seen my apple pie recipe. Here’s another zinger for ya. My full-blooded Italian Grandmother has the touch of an angel when it comes to making things work in the kitchen. My mom always says she wishes Granny had enough energy left in her to spend a day making ravioli from scratch, rolling out the dough, cooking the fillings, all of the above, so we could watch and learn. Maybe it’ll still happen. What she does still make is her apple pie. When I was visiting for Christmas I stumbled across an old scrap of paper that had the recipe on it! So I stole it! Ok, actually I asked her if I could have it, then I copied it on another scrap of paper, which is now slipped inside my recipe binder. I paired it with my All Butter Crust and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. Both of which I'll be taking to Fox for their MasterChef competition. Here’s what you’ll need:

½ Cup Heavy Cream
2 Tablespoons Tapioca (dry, we’re not talkin’ Jello snack cups here)
1 Cup Sugar
2 teaspoons Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, room temperature
¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Salt
5 Cups peeled and thinly sliced Apples (I use Granny Smith, about 5-6 apples)

1. Preheat oven to 400 Degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Peel and slice your apples and place in a bowl with some water and a dash of lemon juice to prevent browning.

3. Combine the cream, tapioca, sugar, salt, spices and lemon juice in a large bowl. Whisk until well mixed. Add sliced apples and toss lightly.

4. Roll out pie crust and line bottom of pan. Spoon half of your apples into the pan, making sure to fill around the edges and pack well. Dot the top of apples with butter. Add remaining apples, packing tightly. Roll out second half of pie crust and affix atop the pie using water to seal at the edges.

5. Prick a few ½ - inch slices in the top of your crust using a sharp knife to allow steam to escape while baking. Brush top of pie lightly with egg white.

Bake at 400 degrees for 50-60 minutes until crust is golden brown.