• Prepare, roll and plate pie crust of choice or use our Best of Both Worlds pie crust. This can be done up to 3 days in advance and kept covered well in the refrigerator.
• Preheat oven to 425
• Peel and slice apples 1/4 inch thick and place in a dutch oven or large, deep skillet.
• Zest lemon over the apples and add 1/4 cup brown sugar. Gently mix.
• Slowly cook over medium heat for about 5-8 minutes or until the apples are just starting to soften but still hold their shape.
• While apples are cooking, combine 1/4 cup sugar, 3T cornstarch, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 tsp nutmeg in a small bowl.
• When apples are ready, add the cornstarch mixture and gently stir until juices thicken and you can leave streaks at the bottom of the pan.
• Remove from heat immediately and place filling into a bowl to cool. Add 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice.
You can adjust the filling to your taste. I like a brighter filling, so I generally add more lemon juice. If you want it sweeter, you can add more sugar.

Prepare Crumble Topping

• While the apples cool, you can prepare your crumble topping. This is also a great step to do in advance. You can follow our crumble topping recipe HERE.

Assemble and Bake Pie

• Once the apple mixture as cooled, turn out into prepared pie shell and top with crumble topping.
  
• Place pie on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place into oven on middle or lower rack.
• Bake at 425 for 15 minutes and then lower the temperature to 350. Bake for another 30-35 minutes until the juices come to a slow, thick bubble.
• Remove pie from oven and cool completely before slicing. Once cool, keep at room temperature loosely covered for up to 3 days.