Here is my recipe for the winning pie:
1 recipe Pastry for Single-Crust Pie
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
6 cups thinly sliced, peeled cooking apples
1 recipe crumb toppinng
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup carmel ice cream topping
Prepare pastry for single crust pie. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 12-inch circle. Transfer pastry to a 9-inch pie plate. Ease pastry into pie plate, being careful not to stretch pastry. Trim, crimp edge as desired. (Sometimes I cheat and use a pillsbury ready made crust)
In a large mixing bowl stir together sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Add apple slices and gently toss till coated. Transfer apple mixture to the pastry-lined pie plate. Sprinkle crumb topping over apple mixture.
To prevent over browning, cover edge of pie with foil. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil. Bake for 25-30 minutes more or till top is golden. Remove from oven, sprinkle pie with pecans then drizzle with carmel topping. Cool on wire rake.
Crumb Topping:
Stir together 1 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, and 1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats. Using a pastry blender, cut in 1/2 cup butter till topping mixture resembles coarse crumbles.
Pastry for Single Crust Pie:
In a bowl stir together 1 1/4 cups flour and 1/4 tsp. salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in 1/3 cup shortening till pieces are pea-size. Using 4-5 Tablespoons cold water total, sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of water at a time over flour mixture, tossing with a fork until all of the dough is moistened. Form dough into a ball.
