Photo courtesy of Carole Murko

CRUST (pâte brisée)

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks chilled unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons ice water

Blend flour, sugar, salt and butter (by hand or in a food processor); add the ice water and shape the dough into a ball. Flatten the ball and press into a fluted pie plate.

TOPPING (make it and chill it)

• ½ stick unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup brown sugar (or a mix of white and brown)
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350° F.

FILLING

• 2⁄3 cups sugar
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1½ cups sour cream
• 1½ teaspoons ginger
• 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 egg plus 2 whites
• 5 Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced

In a large bowl, mix together the sour cream, sugar, salt, spices, eggs and flour. Add the sliced apples and toss carefully. Place filling into crust and sprinkle chilled, crumbled topping over the top (or make pâte brisée in shapes of leaves, stars, hearts….)

Bake at 350° for 60–75 minutes. Let pie cool; then refrigerate.