Classic apple pie is a wonderful fall dessert.

I make apple pie every so often throughout the year, but especially when apples are at their peak of ripeness being sweet and tart.

We are so lucky to live by many farms that grow sweet and tangy delicious fruits especially apples. There is something about a slice of apple pie and your favorite vanilla bean ice cream that says warmth, family and comfort.

Whether you make an apple galette, sweet applesauce, applesauce cake, or roasted pork and apples in the oven, apples as a fruit are very versatile.

My great-grandmother, I have heard, made a yummy apple tart that was heaped with fresh apples surrounded by a thin, soft crust. I would often watch my Mom-Mom make apple pie, laying the apples with a sprinkle of sugar and citrus. My Na-Na makes and freezes applesauce for family meals.

This is my take on the classic apple pie. The sweet farm apples, a bit of citrus and sugar and fall spices all add up to the classic apple pie that will be the showstopper of any fall festival or special autumn dinner. Enjoy.

Two crust classic apple pie

Apple Pie Filling:

3 pounds of a mix of farm fresh apples (Cortland, Jonagold, Macintosh, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Rome, Honey Crisp – sweet and tart baking apples); peeled, cored, sliced

½ cup of refined sugar or half and half white and light brown sugar

½ teaspoon of cinnamon

¼ teaspoon of nutmeg

¼ cup of all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons of a fresh-squeezed citrus juice such as lemon juice

Pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

Crust:

2½ cups of all-purpose flour

2 sticks of butter

½ teaspoon of salt

1 tablespoon of refined sugar

1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar

6-8 tablespoons cold water

In a food processor, combine flour, salt and sugar. Pulse, just to combine. Add in the cold diced butter. Pulse until the butter is the size of large peas. Through the top of your processor, drizzle in the water while pulsing the machine. Combine just until your dough comes together. Make two dough mounds on two pieces of plastic wrap. Wrap the two dough sections separately. Flip the dough over and use a rolling pin lightly to flatten it out. Refrigerate an hour to overnight.

Remove one dough round from the refrigerator, keeping the second round chilled. Set the one dough round out for about 5 minutes, to roll it out easily. Lightly flour the table and your rolling pin. Roll out the crust to a bit larger than the pie pan. Lift the crust up, gently placing it into the pie pan.

Gently shape the pie crust into the pan. Trim off the excess dough around the sides with a knife, keeping about a half of an inch to an inch of overhang to crimp the bottom and top crusts together before baking.

Place this crust in the refrigerator until you are ready to fill it, at least 10 minutes. Fill your bottom pie crust with your filling. Repeat the dough steps and create a top crust, crimping both crusts together.

Bake the pie at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes. Then, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 40-45 minutes, until bubbly in the center.

Serve hot, warm or cool with fresh cinnamon whipped cream or your favorite ice cream.

Sarah Schweitzer is a dual-certified in culinary arts and baking & pastry from the Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. She is a line cook for Executive Chef David Crespo at “Fresh Kitchen by Robert Irvine” in the new Downtown Allentown Market opening Thursday. She can be reached at sarah.schweitzer18@gmail.com.