Skillet Apple Pie

There is just something about good apple pie that makes me happy.  Obviously, it's delicious, but there's a lot of nostalgia that comes with it, too.  The smells of baking apples, cinnamon and buttery pie crust take me back to my childhood and for a moment, I'm back in my Mom's kitchen, or in one of my Grandma's.  My Grandma used to sprinkle the leftover pie crust with butter, sugar and cinnamon and bake it - I can remember fighting over those little bites of pure heaven.  I can remember sneaking sugared apples out of the kitchen while Mom was baking.  (Ok, I still do that.)  Oh, and my other Grandma made the BEST apple cobbler I've ever had.  She'd serve it with a slice of ice-cream.  Yep, a slice.  She used to buy ice cream in the box, and because there were so many of us, she'd open the box and slice it with a knife.  Easier, I suppose. Who knew apple pie could trigger such a trip down memory lane?   Food does that, I suppose.  Well, it does for me.  I'm not alone, am I? This is one of those recipes that I make all of the time. It goes together in minutes, especially because I keep pie crusts in my freezer.   If I need a quick dessert for a pot-luck, family gatherings or just a weekend dinner, I frequently turn to this family favorite.  I love that it's a one-dish dessert.  You make the filling on the stove top in the skillet, then you top with the crust and bake.  Easy-peasy. I also like to use two pie crusts for an extra-thick topping.  I just roll out two 10-inch crusts and lay them over the cooked filling.  Sometimes I cut pretty designs out of the top crusts, sometimes I do a lattice design, and sometimes (as pictured above) I just lay it on there.  Once you lay the crusts on, use the end of a wooden spoon to kind of tuck it into the skillet.