Apple Pie

Hello again, blog! Sorry I forgot about you for a month. I've been too busy lazy to spend any time here, but now I've got Mumford and Sons playing and I'm ready to write.
It's that time of year again: fall. The leaves are changing, the air is crisp, and we are encouraging children to dress up and accept candy from strangers. Everyone is in the mood for some hearty meals. (I'm in that mood all the time, but hey.) 
A couple of weeks ago, I had a sudden urge to bake an apple pie. (I have to bake something at least twice a month or I get cranky.) It turned out surprisingly well, considering that my other attempts at making pie crust have left a bit to be desired.
This recipe is from Joy of Cooking.

Apple Pie

Ingredients:

Crust:
(makes one 9 or 10 inch double crust)
 2 1/2 cups  flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup chilled lard or vegetable shortening
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
6 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon to1 tablespoon ice water

To make crust:
Sift together flour and salt. Add shortening and butter. Work half of the shortening into the flour mixture lightly with the tips of your fingers until it has the consistency of cornmeal. Work the remaining half into the dough until it is pea-sized.
Sprinkle the dough with 6 tablespoons of ice water. Blend the water gently into the dough until it just holds together; you may want to use a fork to allow the moisture to spread. If neccessary to hold the ingredients together, add the additional water.
Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until needed.

Filling: 
 (makes on 9-inch double-crust pie)
2 1/2 pounds apples (5-6 large)
3/4 cup sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons flour 
1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Cinnamon & sugar

To make the filling:
Peel core, and slice the apples 1/4 inch thick. Combine in a bowl with sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt. Let stand for 15 minutes, stirring several times.

To assemble the pie:
Roll out pie crusts. Line a 9-inch pie plate with one of the crusts. Position a rack in the bottom third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Pour the filling into the bottom crust and gently level with the back of a spoon. Dot the top with pieces of butter. Cover the pie with the upper crust. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
Bake for 30 minutes. Slip a baking sheet under the pie, reduce the oven temperature to 350, and bake until the fruit feels just tender when a knife is poked through a steam vent and juices have begun to bubble through the vents, 30-45 minutes more. Cool completely on a rack, 3-4 hours.