Dec. 3 is National Apple Pie Day. Celebrate with a delicious slice of homemade apple pie packed with warm, wintery flavors.

Ingredients

6 to 7 Apples

2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon butter

3 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 pie crust (Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust)

1 pastry cloth

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Start with the filling

Peel and core the apples, then cut them into 3/4-inch slices. Mix the apples with the lemon juice.

In a bowl, mix the brown sugar, sugar, cornstarch, a dash of cinnamon, salt and nutmeg.

Lightly beat the egg with 1 teaspoon of water, then set the filling ingredients aside for now.

Making the cover

Rub 3 tablespoons of flour into a pastry cloth, forming a circle. Roll the dough into a circle that should be about 1/8-inch thick with a 15-inch diameter.

Spread the egg and water mixture into the premade pie crust.

Putting it together

Combine the sugar mix with the apple slices and pour them in the pie pan. Press down to make sure they are compact.

Place 1 tablespoon of cold butter cubes into the mixture.

Gently place the sheet of dough over the filling to seal the pie. Make sure there is at least 3/4 of an inch of dough hanging over the edges.

Fold the top layer under the crust and press the two together.

Drip a little of cold water onto the top and sprinkle a bit of sugar to finish it off.

Poke a few holes in the pie crust with a knife to make sure the pie has enough ventilation.

Baking

Place the pie onto a metal pan covered in aluminum to catch the juices that may leak while baking.

Bake until the top of the pie is golden brown and the juices are bubbling. This will take about an hour.

Cool the pie in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours, though preferably overnight, before serving. Heat it in the microwave if you want to eat it warm.

A version of this article appeared in the Tuesday, Dec. 26 print edition. Brenda Liu is a contributing writer. Email her at [email protected].