Apple Pie

The difference between store-bought apple pie and this homemade version is impossible to express in writing. My attempt: this pie makes store-bought pie taste like shit.

It patiently waits at the Thanksgiving dessert table, being passed over by people reaching for that pumpkin custard mush. But for people who can see straight through the peacocking of sweetened condensed milk, this pie is there for them.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Apple Pie Recipe Success Guide:

This is a difficult and laborious recipe to execute. If you attempt the pie crust, you will find out why no one makes pie crust. Keep all your ingredients cold and work quickly. If possible, chill your bowl in the freezer. Make sure to roll your pie crust like a wheel to smooth out edge cracks, which will reduce cracking when rolling out.

Don’t resort to shortening. If you’re going to use shortening, you may as well buy a refrigerated crust.

Don’t skip the egg wash.

Serving Suggestion:

warm apple pie + vanilla ice cream

Ingredients

Crust:

2 cups/ 260 grams AP flour
1/2 tsp table salt/ 1 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1.5 sticks/ 170 grams butter
1/3 cup ice water

Apples:

7 apples, 8 if small (Macintosh, cortland)
1/2 cup / 100 grams sugar
2 tbs flour
1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/8 tsp cloves
1 tbs lemon juice + zest of 1 lemon

Egg Wash:

1 yolk mixed with 1 tbs milk or water4

Instructions

Crust:
Whisk together dry ingredients. Dice butter into small cubes, and rub into flour until it resembles lumpy sand. Add ice water, and work into a shaggy ball. Keep working until it comes together, split into two disks and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

While chilling, Apples:
Peel and slice apples. Add flour, spices, lemon juice and zest, and mix until apples are coated

Pie:
Preheat oven to 400F. Roll out pie crust for bottom crust. Bake for 8 minutes. Fill pie crust with apples. Roll out top crust, and place over the top of the pie. Cut slips or shapes for steam vent. Whisk together egg wash, brush over the top and bake for 15 minutes at 400. Bake for another 30 minutes at 375, or until the crust is golden brown. If the edges start to burn, protect with foil.

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