Apple Pie in a Paper Bag

OK people, be prepared to be blown away here (well unless of course you've already heard of or tried this before).  About a year ago I was browsing through the King Arthur website when I came across one of their recipes for apple pie.  I know your probably thinking "Big deal, there are millions of apple pie recipes out there."  But don't stop reading yet!  It wasn't the recipe that caught my eye so much as it was the method of cooking it that startled me.  This recipe said to cook it in a sealed paper bag!  What?

I have been making apple pie for a long time (it happens to be one of my husband's favorite pies) and I will go so far as to say that I make a pretty darn good one, so I wasn't out there looking to perfect my go-to recipe.  I just stumbled on this, and it intrigued me so much I had to try it.....immediately.  

I honestly was not prepared for how wonderfully delicious this pie turned out to be.  I just didn't think it would yield anything that would leave an impression.  But boy was I wrong!  Don't you love it when that happens?  I swear on the Holy Bible that everyone who has had this pie insists it is the best apple pie they've ever had.  Cooking it in a sealed paper bag creates steam, pair that along with the high cooking temperature, and it somehow produces a down right amazing pie.  I will admit I was nervous about putting a paper bag in the oven, but as long as you are very careful and make sure it's not touching the sides of the oven, it will be fine.  Promise.  So don't be afraid.  You have to go try this pie....really, you just have to!

Apple Pie in a Paper Bag (adapted from King Arthur recipe)
 

For crust: half the Pie Crust recipe (click here for recipe)
About 10 cups apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
2 tbsp lemon juice
2-3 tbsp flour

Preheat oven to 425. Spray pie plate with cooking spray - you are probably thinking you can skip this because you don't normally do this, but I am warning you that it is necessary (something about that steam makes the crust stick to the pie plate if it's not greased). Line pie plate with the dough and fold the edges under, pinch seams all around or crimp it using a fork.  Put sliced apples in microwave safe bowl and stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and lemon juice. Microwave uncovered for 5 minutes. Spoon apples into pie plate, leaving the juices at the bottom. Add flour to bowl and whisk together with the juices left from the apples. Pour this over the apples.   

Topping: In bowl of food processor, add 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup cold butter cut into pieces. Pulse until mix is crumbly. Spread topping over the apple filling.

Place pie into paper grocery bag. Fold it close and staple it shut all along the fold (can also use paper clips). Bake at 425 for one hour, then shut the oven off and let the pie set in there with the door shut for another 10 minutes. Remove pie from oven and carefully open it. Take pie out of bag and set on rack to cool completely before slicing (unless you like it warm and you don't care if it falls apart on you).