Here is the recipe for a very rich, very unique apple pie that my daughter prepared for Thanksgiving this year.

To give credit where credit is due I must tell you that this premium dessert creation is based on Paula Deen’s Savannah High Apple Pie, but some significant modifications were made to her original recipe.

Presenting….

Diah’s Merapi High Apple Pie

For the Deep Dish Pie Crust:
6 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups butter-flavored solid shortening (recommended: Crisco)
1 tablespoon salt
3/4 cup cold water

For the Filling:
21 apples, preferably Golden Delicious or Granny Smith, peeled, quartered and thinly sliced*
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (or whole wheat flour)
1 1/2 cups sugar (preferably organic cane sugar)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

For the streusel:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour (or whole wheat flour)
1/2 cup pecans
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 stick of melted butter

*Recipe for Marshmallow Pecan Topping, recipe follows*

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

For the Deep Dish Pie Crust:
Cut flour into butter-flavored shortening. Add salt and stir in enough water to make stiff dough. Knead slightly together. Chill dough before using.

Use 1/3 of pie dough for bottom crust. Roll bottom crust. Lay in pie pan.

For the filling:
Combine apples, flour, sugar, and cinnamon and mix lightly with spatula.

For the streusel:
In a small bowl combine together butter, brown sugar, flour, pecans and cinnamon. Layer this mix every so often between apples.

Begin layering apples slice by slice, slightly overlapping starting at the outside circle of the pie plate and working towards the center. Push firmly as the layers build. Add slices of apples to top of pie to round off.

Pour 1/4 to 1/2 stick of melted butter on top of the pie.

Roll out top crust using remaining pie dough. Gently place top crust over the mound of apples. Smooth the sides of pie crust towards bottom of pie pulling out on extra crust. Pinch down to seal 2 layers together. Crimp pie for first time. Cut extra crust with the back of a sharp knife. Re-crimp the edges and push towards the pie.

Put 5 steam vents with a small knife towards the upper part of the pie. Do not vent at the top as it will cause the pie to split open as it bakes.

Bake between 350 to 375 degrees F for 1 hour, 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Let cool for at least 1 hour.

Finally….

Marshmallow Pecan Topping:
16 oz Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup
1 cup mini-marshmallows
1 1/2 cup chopped pecan pieces

In a sauce pan, heat Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup at medium-high. Add in marshmallows and chopped pecans. Stir for two minutes. Using a spoon or ladle, drizzle the topping liberally over the pie starting from the top.