Keri's Drunken Apple Pie

This recipe was adapted from a Country Living recipe. This weekend, I won first prize at the UC Santa Cruz Harvest Fesitval with this pie! It's a winner! The 'drunken' refers to the state in which the baker should be while baking the pie in order to achieve the best possible results.

Pastry for Double-Crust Pie
2.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup butter (very cold and cut into half-inch cubes)
2 t granulated sugar
0.5 t salt

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and salt. Using a pastry-blender, cut in the butter until the pieces are pea-sized. Sprinkly 1 T cold water over the mixture and toss with a fork. Repeat, using 1 T water at a time (use a total of 5-6 T water) until all the flour misture is moistened. Shape into a ball; wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate about one hour.

The Pie Itself
0.75 cups granulated sugar
0.25 cups packed brown sugar
2 T all-purpose flour
1 t ground cinnamon
0.25 t salt
0.25 t nutmeg
3 pounds Cox Orange Pippin apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
2 T butter (cold and cut into half-inch chunks)
0.25 cups whipping cream
1-2 T milk
1 T turbinado sugar

Bring the pastry dough to room temperature. Divide in half. On a lightly-floured surface, roll one pastry ball into a 12" circle. Transfer to a 9" pie plate and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Add the apples and toss to coat. Transfer this mixture to the pastry-lined plate. Dot with the butter and pour the whipping cream over the filling. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the remaining pastry to a 12" circle. Place the pastry over the filling in the pie plate. Seal and crimp the edges. Cut a few designs into the top of the pastry. Decorate, if desired, with extra dough scraps in the shapes of apples or leaves. Brush with milk and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Cover the edges in foil to prevent burning. Bake at 375F for 40 minutes, then remove the foil from the edges. Bake for 25-30 more minutes, or until the fruit is tender and the filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack, then eat it! Yumm!!!