Apple Pie

Proud to finally share my first double-crust pie with a really great apple filling!  I made my first attempt was last Thanksgiving (photos are from that time), and I made it again for Christmas as adapted in the recipe below.  I found the filling recipe in the New York Times. I thought there was a bit too much apple cider vinegar the first time I made this, so I’d recommend cutting it down from 1 tablespoon to 2 teaspoons. Here’s the recipe as adapted:

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 lbs apples, peeled and cored, then cut into wedges (5 large honeycrisps will do)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 recipe All-Butter No-Fail Flaky Pie Crust
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

DIRECTIONS:

1. Melt butter in a large saute pan set over medium-high heat and add apples to the pan. Stir to coat fruit with butter and cook, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, whisk together the spices, salt and 3/4 cup sugar, and sprinkle this over the pan, stirring to combine. Lower heat and cook until apples have started to soften, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Whisk flour and cornstarch together while the apples are cooking.
2. Sprinkle flour mixture little by little over the apples while stirring to prevent lumps, cooking another 3 to 5 minutes. I hate having lumps, so I used a mesh colander to sift it over the filling. Remove pan from heat, add cider vinegar, stir and scrape fruit mixture into a bowl and allow to cool completely. NOTE: The fruit mixture will cool faster if spread out on a rimmed baking sheet – line with parchment paper for easier clean up.
3. Place a large baking sheet on the middle rack of oven and preheat to 425 degrees Farenheit. Remove one disc of dough from the refrigerator and roll it out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface until it is roughly 12″ in diameter. Fit this crust into a 9-inch pie plate, trimming it to leave a 1/2-inch overhang. Place this plate, with the dough, in the freezer.

   

4. Roll out the remaining dough on a lightly floured surface until it is roughly 10 or 11 inches in diameter.
5. Remove pie crust from freezer and put the cooled pie filling into it. Cover with remaining dough. Press the edges together, trim the excess, then crimp the edges with the tines of a fork. Using a sharp knife, cut three or four steam vents in the top of the crust. Lightly brush the top of the pie with egg wash and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon of sugar.

   

6. Place pie in oven and bake on hot baking sheet for 20 minutes, then reduce temperature to 375. Continue to cook until the interior is bubbling and the crust is golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes more. Remove and allow to cool on a kitchen rack, about two hours.