Mighty High Apple Pie

For a perfect apple pie, I would suggest:

Granny Smith apples and a ceramic pie bird.

One is for taste and one is for height.

My husband loves apple pie.

So I have a long history with this dessert.

Tried different dough recipes and varied the amount of sugar, cinnamon and flour that coats the apples. 

But stuck with Granny Smith and my bird.

It has a big hole at the base and little hole at the mouth. Costs $4. Found at kitchen stores, like Sur La Table.

Easy to use. Roll out your pie dough. Set the bird in the middle.

Start piling in the Granny Smith apples (peeled, sliced, tossed in sugar mixture).

Don't stop.

Until you can barely see the tip of the bird.

Cover with pie dough.

Make sure bird’s mouth is exposed.

Bake in a hot oven (425 degrees for 15 minutes and then lower temperature to 350 degrees for the remaining time until apples are cooked through). 

Watch the steam pour out of the bird.

It will not deflate and you will have a mighty high apple pie.

Serve warm with vanilla bean ice cream!