If you are making the crust by hand—start below. Otherwise, begin by preheating oven to 400º. Mix sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, cornstarch, and lemon zest in a bowl. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over apples. Toss to coat. Roll out pie crust (below). Place pie crust pastry into 10-inch pie plate. Fill with apple mixture (pile up like a small hill). Cover with second pastry (below). Flute edges and make slits to vent. Bake until golden (about 55 to 60 minutes). Test for doneness by poking skewer into an apple. Remove from oven, paint with glaze (below), and bake 10 minutes more.

Blend flour, Crisco, lard and salt with pastry blender (or fork and knife) until mixture is coarse crumb. Sprinkle in most of the water. Knead dough until moist but not sloppy. Split mixture into two balls and refrigerate while preparing the filling (above). Once filling is done, remove crust from refrigerator and make a pancake-like shape with each of the two balls, making sure there are no cracks at the edges. Put “sock” on rolling pin. On canvas mat, sprinkle additional flour on and rub it into cracks (do same will rolling pin). Use pie plate for sizing. Place patty in center and roll out in circle. Fold quickly in half and place gently in plate. Continue to follow filling recipe.