Hungarian Apple Pie

Directions

1. 1Grease and flour your approx. 8.5-inch square baking pan.
2. 2Mix the flour and the shortening in a large bowl. Add the water, salt, and egg into the bowl and knead everything together with your clean hands until the dough becomes a coherent ball.
3. 3Divide the dough into two balls. One should be just a tiny bit bigger than the other one since you'll use it to form edges (a small crust) up the sides of the pan.
4. 4Place flour on a smooth surface and roll out the slightly bigger ball until it is just larger than the bottom surface of your baking pan. Place the dough inside the pan and form a small crust up the sides of the pan.
5. 5Peel the apples and remove the core. Grate them on the side of a box grater you use for shredding cheese. Put the apples into a large strainer and squeeze the juice out. You can capture the juice in a bowl underneath and drink it later.
6. 6Move the grated, squeezed apples into a medium-sized bowl. Add cinnamon and sugar and mix everything together using a spoon or your clean hands.
7. 7Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
8. 8Place the apples on the dough in the baking pan. Use a spatula or your hands to evenly spread out the layer of apples.
9. 9Roll out the other ball of dough and place it on top of the apples. Depending on how high you made your bottom crust, you can connect the top and bottom dough along the edges. Poke holes into the top of the dough with a fork so the steam can escape.
10. 10Optional: Whisk one egg with a fork in a small bowl until it is uniform in color. Now brush the egg wash onto the dough. You don't want it to be too thick.
11. 11Bake the pie for approximately 40 minutes. Since every oven is different, your baking time might vary slightly.
12. 12After removing the pie from the oven, let it cool in its pan before removing it and cutting squares.
13. 13Optional: Sprinkle the apple pie with powdered sugar before serving.