Ingredients
Filling
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ teaspoon grated orange zest
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 pounds Granny Smith or other tart apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- 1 ½ cups frozen cranberries
- 1 cup sugar (more or less, depending on the apple sweetness)
- 5-6 tablespoons coarsely chopped pecans
- 3-4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Pie Crust (makes one double pie crust)
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups cake flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup cold lard or vegetable shortening
- 1 cup (2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cut in ½ inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 1 cup ice water
Directions
Pie Crust
- Process both flours, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add lard or vegetable shortening and pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, 5-6 times. Add butter and pulse 5-6 times, until lumps are pea-sized. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill 1-2 hours.
- Remove mixture from refrigerator. Gently toss mixture with a fork. Add the vinegar, then the water, one tablespoon at a time; mix just until dry ingredients are moistened and the dough comes together and forms a ball. Gently gather dough into 2 disks and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill 1-2 hours.
- On a floured surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll 1 dough disk to 1/8 inch thickness, about 11 inches wide. Gently press dough into a 10.25 Inch Skillet, allowing excess pastry to hang over edges. (Do not stretch dough or it will shrink during baking.)
Pie Filling
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Melt the butter in a 10.25 Inch Skillet over medium heat. Add the orange zest, cinnamon, and nutmeg; mix well with a wooden spoon. Add the apples and cranberries, stirring to combine.
- Combine sugar, pecans, and flour; add to apple mixture, stirring to combine. Spoon apple mixture in pie crust, packing tightly and mounding to center. Roll out remaining disk to 1/8-inch thickness and gently place over filling; fold edges under and crisp, sealing to bottom of crust. Place pie on a jelly-roll pan. Cut 4 or 5 slits in top of pie for steam to escape.
- Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake until crust is golden, 45-55 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool ½ to 2 hours before serving.