Presidential Apple Pie

Place flour and salt in a food processor and pulse once or twice. Cut butter into small cubes and pulse into the flour about 20 seconds, until butter is the size of small peas.

With the machine running, add water a tablespoon at a time until the dough just begins to hold together; do not overmix.

Divide dough into two equal size portions and form into 5-inch discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours or longer.

Remove dough from refrigerator for 10 minutes, then place one disc on a lightly floured board. Roll into a 14-inch circle, slide onto a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Repeat with the second disc, placing it also on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap or parchment and chill 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and prepare the filling: Core and peel the apples and cut into wedges. Place into a large bowl with the sugar, cornstarch and honey. Add vanilla, cinnamon and lemon zest and juice and toss to coat the apples well. Let stand 20 minutes.

In a large saucepan, bring the apple mixture to a boil, then lower heat to medium and stir and cook until mixture thickens slightly and apples begin to become tender, about 10 minutes, scraping the bottom frequently so the mixture does not stick to the pan. Remove from heat and allow to cool while pre-baking the crust.

Carefully place one of the rolled out crusts into a lightly greased 10-inch deep-dish pie plate. Trim the edges to within inch of the edge of the pie plate, line the interior with foil and use pie weights to fill the crust. Bake for 30 minutes - the edges should be lightly browned and the bottom beginning to look dry. Remove pie weights and foil and allow crust to cool for 10 minutes.

Fill the pie with the cooked filling. Whisk the egg and salt together and brush the edges of the crust well. Remove the remaining rolled out dough from the refrigerator and slide it onto the top of the pie, trimming the edges to the same size as the bottom crust. Press the two crusts together very firmly with the tines of a fork to seal. Cut 10-12 slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Brush the top with some of the remaining egg and salt mixture, sprinkle the sugar over the top and bake about 35 minutes until the top crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling.

Cool for 2 hours before cutting into slices to serve.