Ingredients:
● 1 1/4 cup sugar
● 1/4 cup water
● 2 tsp kosher salt
● 1/4 cup heavy cream, room temperature
● 3 tbsp South Chicago Packing Lard All-Purpose Shortening
● 3 1/2 lbs Golden Delicious apples, cored, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch wedges
● 1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
● 1/2 tsp ground ginger
● 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
● 1/2 lemon, juiced
● 2 tbsp cornstarch
● Best Lard Pie Crust, prepared
● 1 large egg
● 1 tbsp whole milk
● Vanilla bean ice cream, for serving, optional
Directions:
1. Combine sugar, water and salt in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Cook by gently swirling the pan, but not stirring, until sugar turns a deep caramel color, about 9 to 10 minutes. Whisk in heavy cream and reduce heat to medium-low. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until temperature reaches 225°F, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Melt lard in a large straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg and cook, stirring frequently, until apples are tender but still hold their shape, about 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, whisk lemon juice and cornstarch together until combined. Add cornstarch mixture and caramel mixture to apples and cook, stirring frequently, until apple mixture thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Spread apples evenly over a rimmed baking sheet and allow to cool completely at room temperature.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll each disk of pie dough into roughly a 1/8-inch-thick circle, about 12-inches wide. Transfer pie dough to a 9-inch pie dish. Press crust into pie dish. Fill pie dish evenly with apple filling. Cut remaining dough into 1-inch strips. Create a lattice pattern on top of pie by weaving strips over and under each other. Trim excess edges off lattice strips. Fold bottom crust up and over to seal in strips. Crimp edges of crust. Freeze the pie for at least 30 minutes to help the crust set before baking.
5. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425°F. Whisk egg and milk in a small bowl until combined. Brush top of lattice with egg wash. Place pie onto a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°F and continue to bake until crust is golden-brown and filling is bubbling, about 35 to 45 minutes.
6. Transfer pie to a wire rack and allow to cool for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving with ice cream.
