Whats all this hub-bub about the middle?

My dad. Not a conformist. Always set down his own path then tread upon it lightly. He was never one to follow, always a leader (who had a select few groupies...)

He is a pie enthusiast. He enjoys his fair share of Pumpkin and Apple. Let me rephrase that. He enjoys the outer portion if those particular pies. The shell only.

During the holidays he has an adamant request that I bake each of these. I do, I usually make 2 of each. 1 set for him, the other for the rest of us who will enjoy it in its entirety.

See, he takes my beautiful piping hot fresh out of the oven and with ooey gooey goodness seeping out of it, then scrapes it into the trash and eats the crust.

I cry and complain and demand that he not do that, but come on. he is 75 yrs old and I am not going to be able to train him now.

Here is my delicious Apple Pie recipe for those of us who choose to eat it like its supposed to be eaten.

Whole.

Apple Pie

2-3 lbs baking apples (I prefer a mixture of granny smith and yellow delicious)

4 tbsp butter

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2-3 tbsp 1/2 & 1/2

1-2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Pie shell, fluted 9"

Wash, peal and slice thin the apples. Place in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine sugar, honey, 1/2 & 1/2 and spices. Add Nuts. Pour over apples. Mix well. Pour into prepared pie shell. Dot with butter. You may choose to lace a second pie shell over the top or not. My pies are top crustless. Bake in oven for 55 min at 400 degrees. Remove from heat, let cool. Serve warm with ice cream.