Upside Down Apple Pecan Pie

Rain is pouring in sheets outside. Dark clouds make the morning look evening and the overall feeling of the day is slow; happy I am inside a warm kitchen waiting to bake an apple pie.

The apple pie recipe won Grand Champion in the 1977 Illinois State Fair when submitted by Pat Nelson. The pie crust contains lard (I have a hard time getting myself to use lard, even though lard is said to have magical baking powers) but substitute shortening or a combination of shortening and butter. Pie crust works out the best when all ingredients are well chilled beforehand and the dough is assembled quickly.

Upside Down Apple Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup pecans

1/2 lemon -- juice

1 Tablespoon flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup brown sugar

6 cups Granny Smith apples -- sliced

1/3 cup brown sugar -- firmly packed

3/4 cups white sugar

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

PIE CRUST

2 3/4 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 Tablespoon vinegar

1 cup lard (or use shortening, or a combo of shortening and butter)

1 egg

waterDirections:
Cut lard into the flour & salt mixture.

Beat one egg in a cup and add 1 TBSP of vinegar & finish up with water to 1/2 cup.

Add egg mixture to the flour mixture & form into a ball to b rolled out.

In a 9 or 10" pie plate spread evenly butter & brown sugar which have been combined.

Arrange pecan halves in design, pressing into the sugar.

Roll out & cover with plain pastry made as above. Trim pastry leaving 1/2" hanging over all around.

Filling: Combine all dry ingredients with apples & lemon juice. Pile on pastry, leveling as much as possible.

Cover the filling with the second crust. Fold bottom crust over top crust wetting edge of top as you go. Flute edges and prick the top crust.

Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 30-45 minutes longer. When syrup in pan stops bubbling, place serving plate over pie and invert. Remove pie plate.

Serve with vanilla ice cream.