New to baking? Keep these smart techniques in mind the next time you make an apple pie from scratch, and your dinner guests will be none the wiser!

1. Keep the crust ingredients cold. One of the most important things to do while mixing and rolling your pie crust is to keep all of the ingredients cold. Your crust will only become dense and flaky if the butter is kept in chunks rather than melting, creating layers between the flour and water mixture.
2. Use real butter. Dessert is not a time to worry about your diet. Make sure that you always use real, full-fat butter (instead of margarine or another butter alternative) to achieve the best results possible.
3. Use your hands. While kitchen stores boast a wide variety of tools for creating the perfect pie crust, the best thing to use is your hands. Knead the dough between your fingers to get it to the perfect consistency, and don’t forget to lick your fingers to make sure that it’s not too salty or too sweet.
4. Let the filling sit overnight. To get the best taste out of your apples, let them sit overnight with the rest of the ingredients to really draw out that lovely apple flavor.

The Food Lab's Top 9 Tips For Perfect Apple Pie [Serious Eats]
Your Grandma's Apple Pie Recipe Is Good. This One Is Better [Bon Appetit]
How to Make the Best Apple Pie Ever [Good Housekeeping]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr Daniel Zemans