Apple pie

1 ½ hours, plus cooling times. Makes 1 (9-inch) pie with a decorative or lattice top

8 (or 6 large) tart apples, such as Granny Smith 4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon Scant ½ teaspoon salt 2⁄3 cup raisins, rehydrated in rum, another liquor or juice 2 tablespoons cornstarch Prepared flaky pie crust dough, chilled Egg white and sugar for finishing the top crust

1. Peel and core the apples, and cut each into 8 slices. Cut each slice crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces. 2. In a large skillet over medium

heat, melt the butter. Stir in the apple slices, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt, and cook, stirring frequently, just until the apples start to soften, 3 to 4 minutes (the slices should still be crisp). Remove from heat and stir in the raisins and cornstarch. Spread the apple mixture onto a baking sheet to stop the cooking process and allow the apples to cool. 3. Heat the oven to 400 degrees, and fit a rack at the lowest part of the oven. 4. Remove the crust from the refrigerator and roughly divide into two pieces (figure on using about 2/3 for bottom crust). Wrap and refrigerate the smaller portion of dough while you roll out and fill the bottom crust.

5. On a well-floured board, roll the dough for the bottom crust to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. (It might help to roll the dough on a large sheet of floured parchment or wax paper. The dough then can be more easily lifted and inverted over the pie dish.)

6. Gently lift and center the dough over a 9-inch pie dish; if the dough cracks, simply press the crack together to seal, or patch with a little leftover dough. Ease the dough into the pie dish, making sure to remove any air bubbles from underneath the dough, and trim the edges, saving any scraps.

7. Fill the shell with the fruit filling, mounding the fruit in the center of the pie.

8. Roll out the top crust, cutting decorative cutouts or lattice strips if desired. Decorate the top of the pie, brushing egg white as needed to adhere the decorations or lattice. Sprinkle sugar over the decorations or lattice, avoiding the outer edge of the crust where the sugar is more likely to burn.

9. Bake the pie on the lowest rack of the oven until the crust is a rich, golden color and set, and the filling is bubbly throughout, about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. If any part of the crust browns too quickly, tent with foil, and if the bottom crust browns too quickly, move the pie to a higher rack.

10. Cool the pie before serving.