This recipe took me the entire summer to perfect! The buttery, flakey, crispy crust wonderfully compliments the sweet, soft apples. This recipe is great for any season and any occasion!
Description
This pie has 2 components:
Homemade pie crust (or 14.1 oz pillsbury pie crust if you don't have time to prepare your own)
Pie filling
Egg wash
Prep time: 5 hours 30 minutes
Cook time: 50-55 minutes
Total time: Around 6 hours and 30 minutes
Yields: 8-10 servings
Ingredients
Pie crust
2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
7 tablespoons of unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
3/4 cups vegetable shortening
1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons of ice water
Pie filling
6-7 large apples (cored, peeled, and cubed or sliced depending on your personal preference)
1/4 cup of granulated sugar
1/4 cup of light or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup of all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
Egg Wash
1 large egg beaten with 2 tablespoons of white milk
Instructions
Begin by peeling your apples. From here, you can either cube your apples or slice them further. To cube your apples, cut each apple into three distinct sections. Cut each section vertically into fourths then cut your apple section horizontally into fourths. You should end up with approximately 12 apple cubes per apple section (numbers may vary depending on the sizes of your apples. Just make sure each cube is equal in size to ensure even cooking times). To slice your apples, cut your apples into 8 even slices using an apple cutter. Then, simply cut each individual slice into thirds, leaving you with 3 pieces per original apple slice.
In a large bowl, stir the apples, granulated sugar, brown sugar, all-purpose flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
Place the butter in a saucepan and melt on medium heat. This should take about 2 minutes.
Once the butter is completely melted, add your apple mixture into the pan to pre-cook the apples. Let them sit on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Stir occasionally. Lower the heat to low heat and continue cooking the apples for another 2-3 minutes. Remove the apples from the pan and place in a strainer on top of a large bowl to drain excess liquid. Let it sit for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).
Prepare your pie crust. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Using a fork or a pastry cutter, cut the butter and the shortening into the flour and salt mixture. It should not be a dough texture just yet.
One at a time, add in one tablespoon of water at a time. Once the dough starts to form large clumps, do not add any more water. It should not feel sticky or overly dry.
Split the dough in half. Roll each half into a ball and flatten each with your hands until it is about 1-2 tablespoons in width. Wrap both halves separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 2 hours.
Flour a work surface. Lightly flour each ball of dough and the rolling pin. Roll each half gently, making sure to rotate the dough after every couple of rolls to keep its circular shape, until you have 2 circles that are around 12 inches in diameter (rotate the dough about a quarter after every 3-4 rolls to get a circular shape). Place one circle of dough carefully into a pie dish and tuck in the edges of the dough.
Spoon the apple filling into the crust.
Using the other circle of dough, make a lattice on the top of your pie. If you have excess scraps of pie dough, roll it out into a thin rope and place along the rim of the pie. Using a fork, crimp the edges.
Brush your egg wash on top of the crust. Sprinkle coarse sugar on top of the egg wash.
Place the pie into the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Then turn your oven to 375°F (190°C) and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. If the crust begins to get too dark, you can cover the top of the crust with tin foil.
After you remove the pies from the oven, let the pie sit out at room temperature for 2-3 hours.
Notes
Best types of apples for apple pie: Granny Smith and Honey crisp! These apples are crisp and hold their shape after baking rather than turning mushy. Avoid Red Delicious and Gala apples when making pie or your filling will become soupy.
Letting the pie cool for 2-3 hours is very important when making apple pie! It gives the filling enough time to thicken, preventing your pie from being runny.
Make ahead instructions: The pie crust can be made up to 3 months in advance if you freeze the disks. Leave out at room temperature for at least 12 hours before you handle to make your crust.
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