The Best Apple Pie

 

With 30 pounds of apples in the fridge, it’s definitely time for some apple pie. We had the butternut squash and apple soup and now it’s time for some of this yummy pie. It’s still warm from the oven, and we can’t wait for it to cool. I took an Ina Garten recipe and only made a couple changes, and as always, Ina comes through. It was the perfect blend of tart and sweet with just the right amount of spice and juice. I ended up having some leftover apples and dough, so I made a little apple pot pie after, it worked really well. Only goes to show, leftovers are for trying new things.

The Best Apple Pie

5 medium apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon

For the crust:

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed and very cold

3 cups flour

1 teaspooon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1/3 cup vegetable shortening, very cold

6 tablespoons ice water

Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and shortening and pulse until the butter pieces are the size of peas. Add the ice water one tablespoon at a time while pulsing (you may not need all or you may need a little more). Dump the dough out on a floured board and form a disc. Wrap it in plastic wrap and stick in the fridge for at least an hour.

Cut the dough in half and roll out into rounds on a floured board, keeping the dough moving between each pass so that it doesn’t stick to the board. Place one round in your pie pan, making sure not to stretch the dough because it will shrink during baking. (My trick is to roll the dough out on parchment paper and then flipping it over onto the pie pan…you can then just pull off the parchment paper gently.)

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the apples, spices, flour, brown sugar, salt, vanilla and lemon. Spoon the filling into the shell, and you can pile it up a bit because it will shrink as it bakes. Top with the second crust and pinch the edges together. If your crust is dry, you can use some of the egg wash as glue to make a seal. Brush the top with the egg wash and sprinkle the remaining sugar over the top. Cut a couple slits in the top so that the steam can get out. Place on a baking sheet or something in case it drips and bake for 1- 1 1/4 hours or until it starts to brown on top.