This is one of my favorite recipes for homemade Apple Pie, inspired by “Joy of Baking”. It is perfect for a summer afternoon, or even a cozy autumn dinner! I made this pie for Thanksgiving and it was such a delight.
Ingredients:
Pie crust:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 cup of cubed- unsalted butter, chilled
1/4 – 1/2 cup ice water
Apple Filling:
6 large apples peeled, cored, and sliced to about 1/4 inch thick
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
Pie crust:
In a food processor (or in a bowl with a masher), place the flour, sugar, and salt and process until combined. One at a time, add the cubed butter and process until a crumbly mixture. Next, add in the water a tbsp at a time. I ended up using about 3 tbsp, but I recommend you add a little bit more. Once a doughy mixture is formed, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Apple filling:
In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with the lemon juice (to prevent the apples from turning brown), the sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Let this sit out for about 45 minutes (to help release the water in the apples). Take the chilled dough and divide it into two pieces; one larger than the other. Take the smaller piece and roll it out with a rolling pin on a floured surface, and put the larger piece in the fridge. Take a pie tin and fill it with the dough and chill this in the fridge as well. Once the apples are set, place the apples in a strainer and let the juice drip into a dish. All the liquid should come out within 5-10 minutes, and you should have about 1/2 cup of juice. Spray a bowl or heatproof measuring cup with nonstick cooking spray and pour in the juices and butter. Cover this with plastic wrap and microwave on high for about 5 minutes. If you don’t want to use the microwave, you can boil this mixture in a small saucepan over medium-high heat on the stove (which I recommend, it is much safer). Meanwhile, take the larger portion of dough out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature. Take the drained apples and combine them with the cornstarch. Then pour the syrup over the apples and toss to combine. CAUTION! The syrup is really hot, almost like fresh caramel. Fill the chilled pie tin with the apples. Next, roll out the larger piece of dough and top the tin with the dough. With a knife, make 4 small slits in the middle. Or, you can make a weave design by cutting the rolled out dough into 1 inch strips and over-lapping each other on top. If you would like, make an egg wash by taking an egg and a little bit of water combined, and brush this on the top. Bake the pie at 425 degrees F. at the lowest rack for about 45-55 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and enjoy!
