Dessert First

My Husband made an Apple,Pear, Hazelnut Pie the other day. Yes, you heard me correctly, my husband made it, and it was DELICIOUS!!!!! Some of our friends even said that it was the BEST APPLE PIE they have ever eaten!

Here is the recipe he followed:
Hazelnut Apple Pie

Ingredients for the Crust
· 1 3/4 cup flour
· 3/4 cup lard
· 1 tsp. salt
· 1 Tbsp. cold water

Ingredients for the filling

· 6 medium granny smith apples cut into eighths
· 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
· 2 Tbs. butter
· 1 cup and 3 Tbsp. sugar
· 1 lemon
· 3 Tbsp. of the toasted hazelnuts
Ingredients for the Topping
· 1 cup flour
· 1/2 cup sugar
· 6 Tbsp. butter and the rest of the toasted hazelnuts

Directions for the Crust1. Place lard in freezer for 20 minutes, so it is icy cold.2. Place flour and salt in bowl.3. With pastry blender, cut in half the lard, until mixture is like fine meal.4. Coarsely cut in remaining lard.5. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp. cold water over dough and mix with fork until all flour is moist.6. Press dough into a ball. Roll out at once. (If it falls apart, you'll be doing it right. Just patch the baby together in the pie pan.)Directions for the Filling1. Sprinkle 3 tbsp. hazelnuts and the 3 tbsp. sugar on bottom crust.2. Fill pie pan with apples, sprinkle cinnamon on top, then fork the insides of a lemon over all.3. Sprinkle most of remaining sugar around edge of pie, rest on top. Dot with butter, so butter and sugar will caramelize around edge of crust when baked.Directions for the Topping1. Work together with hands until like coarse meal.2. Cover apples with topping and place the pie plate on heated cookie sheet.3. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then lower to 375 degrees and bake 60 minutes or until sugar and butter are bubbly around the edge. Do not remove before.4. If top is browning too quickly, cover with foil.5. Let the pie cool at room temperature for one hour before slicing.Recipe courtesy of Mary Michener, Good Morning America Apple Pie Contest 2001