How to make an apple pie–with my personal recipe.
Ingredients
For crust:
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
7 tbsp cold water
For apples:
6-7 apples
⅔ cup brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
Cinnamon
Cloves
Ginger
Nutmeg
Vanilla
Orange or lemon juice
Making the crust:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
The easiest way is to combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender. It should create something that looks like a shaggy mess, but is actually the basis for a perfect pie crust. Turn it out onto the counter and combine it further with clean hands until it resembles a dough. Put it in the fridge to chill until needed.
Making the apples:
Peel all of the apples and cut the core out. This part is the biggest pain out of the whole process, so you may want to have someone do it with you. Cut the apples into thin slices or dice them, depending on personal preference. Put into a mixing bowl and add sugar, vanilla, and spices. If you don’t have all of the ones listed, “pumpkin pie spice” is basically the same thing if you have a bottle of that. Combine everything with your hands, then add a few tablespoons of the orange or lemon juice. Combine again.
Assembling the pie:
Get the crust out of the fridge and divide it in two. Lightly flour the counter and roll out one half as thin as you can make it (usually ⅛ inch is what most bakers go for). If you have pastry scrapers, they are incredibly useful during this step. There are several methods for getting the bottom crust onto the pie dish, but the simplest is to just coil it up onto the rolling pin like a scroll, and then gently roll it into the dish. Press it carefully into the edges of the dish to get rid of empty space. Trim off excess. Poke some holes in the bottom with a toothpick or fork: this will help it cook more evenly.
Dump the apples into the dish. Smooth them out until they are evenly distributed. Roll out the second half of the crust, and use the same technique used to pick up the last one to lay it on top of the pie. Press the edges into the bottom crust with your fingers, or a fork if you want it to look fancier. Trim of excess again.
You’ll need to cut some “vents” into the top crust to let out heat and moisture, or the pie won’t cook correctly. Usually this takes the form of six neat little slits near the center like you see in cartoon pies, but you’re welcome to get creative.
Put the pie into the oven on the bottom rack. If you put it in the middle, the bottom crust won’t cook all the way and will get soggy. Let it cook at 350 degrees for 50 minutes to an hour, using your best judgment. I recommend cleaning up the mess you made in the kitchen during this time, so you don’t have to do it later.
When the pie is done, put it on a potholder or cooling rack and let it set for at least 10 minutes. This lets the filling settle into a nice, apple-pie consistency, as well as making sure you don’t burn your mouth trying to get a bite. (Seriously, those hot apples are like molten lava. Don’t do it.)
To save leftover pie, first let it cool completely to avoid buildup of moisture. Then put foil over the top of the pie dish and put it in the fridge, where it should be good for a little over a week. Alternatively, if there’s only a slice or two left, you can just put them in Ziplock bags if you’re trying to save room in the fridge.
Enjoy, and happy holidays.
Bonus tips:
Using a combo of red and granny smith apples gives a more well-rounded flavor.
When handling the crust, speed is your friend- the warmer it gets, the harder it will be to work with.
My pie has a little less sugar than a lot of recipes because that’s what my family likes. It should be fine for most people, but if you or your family have a serious sweet tooth, you may want to taste-test and see if it needs more.