Old Fashioned Apple Pie

     

     I have been thinking about Thanksgiving and I like to try things out at least once before I make it for a large group of people. I have been meaning to try apple pie and pumpkin pie for some time now, and finally found a day to do them both at once. My friend, “C”, came over to make them with me as we both plan on making these pies for Thanksgiving. So we finished with four pies - and lots of delicious leftovers to share!

There are so many apple pie recipes out there, but with something so traditional, I thought a recipe from Martha Stewart would be best - and it turned out fabulous. There are a couple of things I picked up on while making it…

1/2 of the apples I used were Macintosh. The rest were a mixture of Gala, Honey Crisp, etc. The pie itself was delicious but just a tiny bit tart. I think I will use the same apples for next time but add just a tiny bit more sugar. So depending on how sweet the variety of apples you use, add more sugar (about 1/5 cup if they are tart, none if they are sweet).

Pie is a personal preference, and in the words of my friend, “A” who ate the pie… “The apple pie was excellent - I loved the tartness of the apples and really appreciated that it wasn’t too sweet. I thought the granular sugar on the upper crust was the perfect burst of sweetness and the texture of the apples was awesome - not too mushy/not too crunchy. I also appreciated how much apple you managed to get in there. Each pie respectively was an excellent example of the quintessential pumpkin and apple pie! (…as she had tried both pies)

What struck me was how there was no one taste that overwhelmed or dominated in either pie … I thought the flavors were really perfect.”

So depending on how you like your pie, you can’t go wrong with this recipe, either as is, or with a few tiny adjustments!

 

Recipe: Old Fashioned Apple Pie from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

Makes one 9-inch double crust pie

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface

Pate Brisee   (Recipe Below)

1 large egg yolk

1 tablespoon heavy cream

1 tablespoon cornstarch

4 pounds assorted cooking apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-to 1/2-inch-thick slices

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, washed

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup cold (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, ,cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

1. Turn out 1 piece of dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll into a 13-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Fit into 9-inch pie plate. Trim edges flush with rim. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

2. Roll out remaining dough on parchment paper to a 13-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Transfer to a baking sheet; refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk egg yolk and cream in a small bowl; set egg wash aside. Put apples, lemon juice, granulated sugar,cornstarch, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl; toss to combine. Fill pie shell with apple mixture, and dot with butter. Lightly brush edge of pie with a wet pastry brush. Place dough round on top of pie. Trim edges flush with rim; press to seal. Crimp edges as desired. Make four 1/2-inch slits in center of pie. Brush top with egg wash; sprinkle with sanding sugar. Freeze 30 minutes.

Place pie on a baking sheet. Bake until crust begins to turn golden brown, about 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 35 minutes. Cover with foil if browning too quickly. Let cool completely on a rack.

 

 

 

 

Pate Brisee: Pie Dough from Martha Stewart

Makes enough for one double-crust or two single crust 9-inch pies

 

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup cold (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Directions

1. Pulse flour and salt in a food processor. Add butter, and pulse until mixture forms coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 10 seconds.

2. With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream just until dough holds together without being wet or sticky, no longer than 30 seconds.

3. Divide dough in half, and shape into disks. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. Dough can be frozen up to 1 month; thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.