• If making a homemade pie crust, follow the instructions for that recipe (make 2 crusts).

Apple Filling

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Peel and thinly slice all of the apples. A mandolin or food processor is the easiest and fastest way to do this.
3. Add the peeled and sliced apples into a large bowl. Add in the rest of the filling ingredients and stir to coat the apples completely.
4. Carefully layer the apples into the pie shell. Tuck them tightly against the edges and on top of each other. 
5. Take a couple of tablespoons of butter and cut it into dots. Dot the top of the apples with this butter (about 4-5 tablespoons). This is very important! Do not skip this step.
6. Lay the second rolled-out pie crust on top of the apples. Crimp the edges together and decorate the top as you wish. If leaving undecorated, cut a couple of slices at the top of the crust to let the steam escape. 
7. Brush the top with milk and sprinkle with sugar (demerara or white sugar can be used).
8. Bake for 1 hour and until bubbly. If it is getting too brown on top before finishing, lay a piece of foil loosely on top and finish baking.
9. Let cool for about 30 minutes before serving.