Apple Pie with Hazelnut Crust

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Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings

Whether it is Independence Day, Memorial Day or Thanksgiving, your holiday dessert table will be a hit with this hazelnut apple pie.

Ingredients

Crust

  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup Oregon hazelnuts, toasted
  • 2 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch   cubes
  • 5 tablespoons frozen lard or solid vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch   cubes
  • 4 tablespoons (or more) ice water

Filling

  • 3 1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples (about 6 large), peeled, cored, cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices (about 6 cups)
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon (scant) ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
  • Milk
  • Vanilla ice cream

Directions

For crust:

Blend flour and hazelnuts in processor until nuts are finely ground. Add brown sugar and salt; blend 20 seconds. Add butter and lard; using on/off turns, process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer mixture to bowl. Add 4 tablespoons ice water; stir until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough together; divide into 2 equal pieces. Form each into ball; flatten each into disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and chill 1 hour.

For filling:

Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Toss apples, 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in large bowl. Roll out 1 dough disk on generously floured surface to 12-inch round, rotating crust often to prevent sticking. Generously flour 11- or 12-inch tart pan bottom. Slide tart pan bottom under dough round. Carefully slide dough round into 9-inch pie dish. Press crust onto bottom and up sides of dish; pinch and press to seal any cracks. Spoon filling into crust; drizzle with melted butter.

Roll out second dough disk on generously floured surface to 13-inch round. Slide same floured tart pan bottom under dough round. Carefully allow dough round to slide off tart pan bottom onto pie filling; pinch to seal any cracks in crust. Press top crust and bottom crust together at edge. Fold edge under; crimp decoratively. Cut X in center of top crust. Brush top crust lightly with milk. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Transfer pie to rimmed baking sheet. Bake pie 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake pie 25 minutes. Cover crust edges with foil collar to prevent overbrowning; continue baking until crust is golden, apples are tender, and juices are bubbling thickly in center, about 20 minutes longer. Transfer pie to rack and cool. Serve with ice cream.