Senator Robert Dole
Apple Pie

Ingredients

Pastry

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Filling

• 6 tart apples (Granny Smith, Jonathan or Pippin), peeled, cored, sliced
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• Water
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of nutmeg

Topping

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon mace
• 1/4 cup cold butter, cut up

Instructions

Pastry

1. Beat the butter and brown sugar in mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. With mixer at low speed, beat in the flour and pecans. Press dough into a 10 inch pie plate and refrigerate 10 minutes.

Filling

1. Combine apples, sugar and 1/2 cup water in a large skillet. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cover and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Dissolve cornstarch in 1/4 cup water in a small bowl; stir into apple mixture. Bring to a boil, then cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in the butter, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cool.

Topping

1. Combine flour, pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and mace in a medium bowl. With a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.
2. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
3. Spoon filling into the pastry shell. Sprinkle topping evenly over apples.
4. Bake for 10 minutes.
5. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Bake for 30 minutes more or until apples are tender. If topping browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil.
6. Cool on a wire rack.

Notes

This 1988 Ladies Home Journal first prize apple pie winner was from the senator's wife, Elizabeth Dole.