Sara Foster's Cranberry Apple Pie

McIntosh or Empire apples are best for this pie.

Recipe by Sara Foster

MAKES: 1 (9-inch) pie (about 8 servings) PREP: 40 minutes CHILL: 10 minutes BAKE: 1 hour STAND: 1 hour Easy Piecrust (below) 2 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained 3 large apples (about 1 3/4 pounds), peeled and thinly sliced (I put more for a really tall pie) 1/4 cup apple cider (used apple-cranberry juice, because that's all I had) 2 tablespoons dark rum (omitted) 1 cup sugar 3 tablespoons cornstarch 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger Pinch of ground nutmeg Pinch of ground cloves 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces Egg wash (1 large egg beaten with 2 tablespoons milk) Pinch of sugar (optional) Garnish: Spiced whipped cream or vanilla ice cream 1. Roll half of Easy Piecrust dough to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface (about a 13-inch circle). Fold in half, and transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Unfold and drape over pie plate, pressing bottom and sides into pan. Roll remaining dough about same thickness and size; place on a baking sheet. Chill both piecrusts in freezer 10 minutes. 2. Preheat oven to 375°. Combine cranberries and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl, and toss to coat. Add 1 cup sugar and next 5 ingredients, and toss to coat. Pour mixture into chilled piecrust in pie plate; dot with butter. 3. Cut chilled dough on baking sheet into 3/4-inch strips. Place 5 to 7 strips over filling in one direction; add remaining strips in perpendicular direction, folding back alternating strips in a crisscross fashion. Trim strips even with edges of crust; fold edges under, and crimp. Place pie on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet; brush pastry with egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar, if desired. Bake at 375° for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes or until filling is bubbling and crust is golden brown. (If top is browning too quickly, lightly shield with aluminum foil.) Let cool about 1 hour before slicing. Garnish, if desired. Easy Piecrust With minimal ingredients and fuss, you can make your own crust in less time than it takes to go buy one. MAKES: 2 (9-inch) piecrusts or 1 double-crusted pie PREP: 10 minutes 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes 1. Combine flour and salt in a large mixing bowl, and cut in butter with a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) until dough resembles coarse meal. Add 3 tablespoons ice water, and stir, adding 2 to 4 more tablespoons water until dough forms a ball and leaves side of bowl. 2. Form into 2 flat, round discs (or balls), cover with plastic wrap, and chill until ready to use. Adapted from Cottage Living Magazine