I've been baking apple pies for about 60 years now. If I've ever had one come out with a soggy bottom crust, I don't remember it now. I use the Pyrex plates only for any fruit pie. I use basically the crust recipe that was on the Crisco can for years. (1/3 C shortening for each cup of flour, pinch of salt, enough ice water to pull it into a nice dough). Since Crisco changed their shortening, I've switched to either lard, butter, or half & half of the two. I've been adding apple cider to apple pies for the last 20 years or so, my family loves it! But I use tapioca for thickening. Sorry, I can't give an exact recipe, I pretty much go by how it looks when the apples, cinnamon, sugar and tapioca are all mixed together. The amount of sugar depends on the apples, but it's probably pretty close to the amount called for in your recipe. Oven is pre-heated to 450, turned down to 350 in a few minutes, 10 min maybe? There again, I just go by how it looks, I don't time it. I test for doneness by inserting a sharp knife through one of the air vents cut into the crust. When the apples are done, it comes out of the oven, onto a cooling rack. Oh, and yes, use the bottom rack. Anyhow, even when using very juicy apples and the extra cider, the bottom crust is always crisp. And I've never blind baked a crust for a fruit pie. Rusty

There's a lot of oven door choices that are available in Europe for years that we don't have. The only options we have now is French doors which is a retread from designs in the 50s.

Lars, the NYT recipe (below, since it is behind a firewall IIRC) was the only recipe I found with many reviews and a high rating. I liked it because it is not something you see people make all the time and so it is special, it looks pretty, but has flavors with a wide appeal. Not particularly hard at all, just need time to chill the custard. I'd give it a thumbs up, but again, DOUBLE the custard (even as I was making it, I said to DH, "it is no harder to make a batch of this than to make 2 or 3 batches"...wish I would have). And i did beat the eggs/sugar longer than the recipe called for, but someone in comments said 10min and next time I'd do that. I baked mine in a springform pan lined w parchment. Boston Cream Pie FOR THE CUSTARD: note: consider doubling this 3 large egg yolks ½ cup/100 grams granulated sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch Pinch kosher salt 1 cup/240 milliliters whole milk ¼ cup/60 milliliters heavy cream 1 tablespoon/14 grams unsalted butter 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract FOR THE CAKE: 8 tablespoons/114 grams (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for the pan 1 ¾ cups/224 grams all-purpose flour 1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder ¾ teaspoon kosher salt ¾ cup/180 milliliters whole milk 3 large eggs, at room temperature 1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract FOR THE GLAZE: ¼ cup/60 milliliters heavy cream 4 ounces/113 grams semisweet chocolate chips 1 teaspoon neutral oil, such as safflower Pinch kosher salt Add to Your Grocery List PREPARATION Make the custard: In a medium saucepan, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until well combined. Whisk in cornstarch and salt. In a slow, steady stream, whisk in milk and then the cream. Add butter. Cook mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, just until it starts to thicken. Immediately whisk mixture until smooth, then continue to cook and stir custard until it has come to a very low boil for 2 minutes, about 6 to 8 minutes total. Strain custard through a fine mesh sieve into a small bowl, pushing it through with a small spatula. Stir in vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic directly onto the surface. Chill for at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours. Prepare the cake: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-by-2-inch round baking pan, generously greasing the sides, and line it with parchment paper. Butter parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In a small saucepan, bring the milk and butter to a simmer over medium heat. When the butter is melted, remove pan from heat. In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and thick, about 4 to 6 minutes (note; consider doing this for 10 minutes). With the mixer running on low, add the milk mixture and beat until combined. Then add flour mixture and vanilla and beat until combined. Transfer batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 10 minutes. With a very thin knife, cut around the edge to release the cake from the side of the pan. Carefully flip the cake onto the rack, then turn it right-side-up to cool completely. Assemble the cake: Using a serrated knife, carefully cut the cake into two layers and place the bottom layer on a serving plate. Stir custard, and spread it onto the cut side of the bottom half. Replace the top half of the cake, cut side down. Prepare the glaze: In a small saucepan over medium-low, heat the cream to a simmer. Remove the pot from the heat and pour cream over the chocolate chips, oil, salt and let stand for 3 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Spread the glaze evenly over the top of the cake. PS We are on day 3 of Risk (albeit with many long breaks in the action). Still losing. Worse. Send reinforcements. Or pie.

UK cream definitions in case you want to follow a UK recipe. Clotted cream The cream is clotted and contains not less than 55 per cent milk fat (w/w). Double cream The cream contains not less than 48 per cent milk fat (w/w). Whipping cream The cream contains not less than 35 per cent milk fat (w/w). Whipped cream The cream contains not less than 35 per cent milk fat (w/w) and has been whipped. Sterilised cream The cream is sterilised cream and contains not less than 23 per cent milk fat (w/w). Cream or single cream The cream is not sterilised cream and contains not less than 18 per cent milk fat(w/w). Sterilised half cream The cream is sterilised cream and contains not less than 12 per cent milk fat (w/w). Half cream The cream is not sterilised cream and contains not less than 12 per cent milk fat (w/w). Sour or Soured cream The cream has been fermented with harmless microorganisms or through acidification. Sweet cream Cream skimmed from the higher butterfat layer of milk before homogenisation. Crème fraiche Sour cream with a milk fat content of not less than 25% (w/w).se https://www.dairyuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/FINAL-Compositional-Standards-Cream.pdf ‘not less than’ is important. It’s often higher in good brands.