All-American Apple Pie
February 11, 2020
I think pie baking is good for the soul. The tactile process of making the dough and the thought that goes into the filling of this All-American Apple Pie is as good as baking gets.
Keep it Cool
Great pie starts with the crust: to achieve super buttery and flaky pie crust, your ingredients must be cold. This simple tip makes everything better and easier. When I make pie, I first put all of my crust ingredients and even the food processor blade in the fridge or freezer before preparing the rest of the pie ingredients. The filling in this pie is a knock out. Using a combination of two different apples helps to build great full apple flavor and hits both tart and sweet notes.
Rustic + Delicious
If you’re a first time pie baker and you’re worried about it looking like it’s bakery quality – forget about it! Pies that look homemade taste even better. One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received (from Bobby Flay of all people) is that if something doesn’t look “perfect” call it RUSTIC and you’ll have everyone fooled. Who doesn’t want to dive right into a Rustic All-American Apple Pie, right?!
As American As…
Of course, we all know you need to pair your apple pie with some cold vanilla ice cream! If you are looking for a new favorite, my time in Oregon turned me into a forever fan of Tillamook. Their vanilla bean ice cream is simply the best.
If you are looking to spice up your pie game, check out my recipe for Almond Apple Pie here!
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All-American Apple Pie
Description
A quintessential all-american apple pie!
Ingredients
Perfect pie dough
- 3 cups flour, cold, plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, chilled or frozen
- 10 tablespoons ice water
Pie filling
- 4 Gala apples, peeled
- 4 McIntosh apples, peeled
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg, beaten
Instructions
- For the pie dough, combine the flour and salt in a food processer. Add the butter and pulse until you have large pea-size chunks scattered throughout. Slowly add 8 to 10 tablespoons of the ice-cold water until the mixture is just combined; do not overmix (there should be visible bits of butter in the dough). Transfer the dough to a floured surface, divide in half, and shape into 2 discs. Wrap them separately in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400º F.
- For the filling, cut the apples into quarters and remove the cores. Cut each quarter into 1/2-inch slices and toss with the lemon juice in a large bowl. Melt the butter in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the apples, toss to coat in the butter, and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add both of the sugars, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt over the apples and toss to coat evenly. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool completely.
- On a floured surface, roll out one of the dough discs until it is 1/4-inch thick. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate, giving yourself a 1/2-inch overhang. Prick the crust using a fork, and fill the crust with the apple mixture.
- Roll out the second pie dough disc slightly thinner than ¼-inch-think. Transfer it to the top of the pie and trim the edges to about 1/2-inch overhang. Pinch the top crust to the bottom, fluting the edge, or press to seal with the tines of a fork. Vent the pie by cutting 4 slits in the top, and brush with beaten egg.
- Transfer the pie to a baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes before serving. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days