I am a firm believer in pre-cooking apples for apple pie–less stress about getting them cooked through, the crust doesn’t fall with the shrinking of the apples, more “sauce.” Google it, and you will find strong arguments for both methods. I certainly haven’t had any complaints when using this recipe:

• Core, peel, and slice 8-10 apples (Don’t tell my grandma that I don’t use Granny Smith).
• Sprinkle apples with…
  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 stick of melted butter
• Place apples in baking dish, cover, and bake at 350* for 40 minutes.
• Prep your crust while waiting. (See my recipe here.)
• In small saucepan, combine…
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • Generous tablespoon of cornstarch
  • Juice from cooked apples (it’s challenging to pour off the juice, but it’s totally worth it!)
  • Cook over low heat until bubbly–be careful not to burn it!
• Combine sauce and apples before pouring into prepared crust. Fit and vent top crust, bake at 450* for fifteen minutes. Turn oven down to 350* and bake for another 35 minutes.