Apple pie is considered the quintessential American dessert. Thus, it cannot be left off the list when considering what to serve on your 4th of July barbecue.

Ingredients for crust:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
3 1/2 tablespoons cold water

Ingredients for filling:
6 cups sliced and peeled apples
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter

Instructions:
To make crust, put flour and salt in a mixing bowl and stir together with a fork. Now cut in shortening. Add water a tablespoon at a time, tossing the mixture with a fork all the while. Then form dough into a ball with your hands. This is where things get a bit tricky for the novice. Generously flour a flat surface for rolling. Place the ball in the center. Sprinkle some flour on top. With a rolling pin, starting in the center, roll to the outside. When dough becomes about 1/2 inch thick, flip it over, sprinkle some more flour and dust off top. Now roll out dough to desired thin-ness (about 1/16th inch thick). Gently take up the edges of the crust (it is okay if it is a bit ragged) and flop it over the rolling pin like a sheet on a line. Then gently roll it into your pie tin.

Now mix your filling ingredients in a large bowl. Then dump into open crust. Unlike many pie recipes we aren't going to ask you to scallop the edges, etcetra. For this recipe you should carefully draw up the edges so that they cover the filling as much as possible. However, the crust is not required to meet in the middle. Now spinkle a tablespoon of sugar over the crust and pop into a 375 degree oven for about 25 minutes. Serve hot or cold, a-la-mode or not-a-mode.