Although I love most fruit pies, there is something about an apple pie that makes me think of comfort food, family – and Fall.  I begin to crave an apple pie as soon as the calendar changes to September and I  enjoy eating or baking them through Thanksgiving .  I have  fond memories of Grandma Hazel Cole making apple dumplings, which I have also made – but are more work – they are like making a bunch of individual apple pies – but with a fantastic, sweet and sticky sauce.  With either, the cinnamon apple smell as the pie bakes is heavenly!

Making apple pies is a production – and often a two day process for me.  As long as I’m going through the process, I often make two at the same time.  I also typically freeze one, or both, to bake at a later date.  This keeps the work and mess separate from the enjoyment.  This Fall, I baked one up for Dave’s fantasy football draft in September, then another for family – and now, another one in November for Thanksgiving.  I purchased two glass 10″ pie dishes years ago and love them because they make plenty for a party or family gathering.  This post will be longer than most, as I have learned lots of little tricks over the years and hope that you can learn something from my long instructions.

I like to use a variety of apples. Here I’ve used golden delicious, mcintosh, jonagold and honey crisp.

When baking them from a frozen state, I will loosely wrap the pie, top to bottom in foil and bake at a lower temp – like 325 for an hour to an hour and a half – then turn the oven to 375 for an additional 30 minutes without foil to brown the crust and make sure the apples in the center cook to a soft texture.  I like my apple pie when the apples begin to fall apart and make that sweet, sticky sauce – just like the apple dumplings.  Another little trick I have learned is if the pie is well browned, but the apples are not cooked enough in the center, I turn the oven off and allow the pie to sit an additional 15 minutes in the oven with a loose foil cover.  It is quite important to let the pie get to almost room temperature before cutting it so the sauce has a chance to thicken up.

The first step is to make the dough or pastry crust.  I have included a basic recipe from Betty Crocker that uses both crisco shortening and butter.  More butter does taste better – but I really like the texture with a greater amount of crisco.  It is easier to work with and makes a nice, flaky crust.  As with any pastry, the less handling and manipulating of the flour/dough, the better, lighter texture the crust will have.  It is important to let the dough chill, especially when using butter.  I have an old pastry blender that works extremely well.  It was my grandma Kern’s and it has a red wooden handle.  You can purchase one at any kitchen supply store.  I highly recommend one if you want to make pie crusts – it breaks the shortening down nicely into small pieces and blends it into the flour very well.  A fork can be used – or a mixer paddle – but neither does the job as well or as easily.  It is equally important to keep the butter cold and to use ice water when adding the water to the dough.  It just brings the dough together better and will help keep the dough tender.  Please allow the dough to chill for at least 2 hours.  I think more is better, so I often make the dough a day or two before making the pies.

You can see large pieces of butter in this dough. I did not cut the butter into small enough pieces when using the pastry cutter. It turned out just fine though.

Before you roll the dough out for the bottom crust, I suggest you bring the dough out of the refrigerator for about 20 minutes – and also get the apple filling ready so you can pour it in after preparing the bottom crust – then you are ready to roll the top crust while it is still on the cool side.

one disc is slightly larger than the other. It should be used for the bottom crust.

I was given a counter top apple peeling crank machine several years ago.  It speeds up the peeling process significantly when making an apple pie.  Cutting the apples is tedious enough – so cranking the peels off makes that part of the job much faster and easier.The size of the apple makes a big difference, but I find that about 10 medium sized apples will fill the 10″ pie nicely.  I definitely prefer to use a variety of different apples in my pies.  Local markets or stores will usually make suggestions on which type of apple is best for pies.  I like to use golden delicious, gala, jonathan and a few macintosh even though macintosh will get very saucy and fall apart.  I think the texture variety is a good thing.  Peel all apples first, then hand cut them into slices that are not greater than about 1/4″ thick and not longer than 2″.  If they are too large, it is difficult to fit them into the pan easily.  I do not measure my ingredients in the filling much any longer, but typically use about 1 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, about 3 tablespoons of flour – and about 1/2 tsp of salt.  If the apples are not tart, it is great to squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon into the filling mixture too.  This will add a good counterpoint to the sweet apples – and will help keep the apples from getting brown before baking.

peeling apples with a standing peeler makes it easy and fast

The only additional ingredient to the filling is to add about 1 TBS of butter cut into small pieces and place over the apples before adding the top crust.  I sometimes forget this step- but it does make a more silky sauce.

Rolling out the crust may be the hardest part – but you learn over time that even a difficult crust that cracks or breaks when setting it up can be delicious…it’s just frustrating.  I use a pastry cloth that belonged to my grandma Kern.  I know you can purchase pastry cloth at any fabric store.  I bought one for Katy a few years ago and just hemmed the edges so it doesn’t fray when washed.  It is a heavy cotton fabric that you sprinkle with flour.  You can use a piece of silicone -or even parchment paper, but the parchment paper is difficult to hold in place.  I also keep saran wrap on top of the pastry disc almost the entire time I roll it out.  I think this helps keep the butter from getting too warm which makes the dough too soft and difficult to work with.  Again, you can push the dough together after it is in the pie dish if it breaks – it will still taste great!  be sure you roll the dough out so it is bigger than your pie dish and has a little more to hang over the edges.  You need some dough to match up with the top crust and seal the filling in.  I also have an old rolling pin – one that has handles.  These are a personal preference.  The longer, thin rolling pins work beautifully too – you just have to learn to use even pressure when rolling and roll from the center out in each direction.  The goal is always to make the dough the same thickness all the way around and try to get it as round as possible.  Mine is never perfect – and it often lopsided, but you find that a little ” cutting and pasting” is doable.  Once the bottom crust is complete, I often just pick up the pastry cloth from underneath and flip the dough into the pie pan.  It seems to be the best way to do it without trying to pick it up with your warm hands.  You can trim any really long or thick outer pieces from the crust before adding the apples.

bottom crust ready for the filling.

small pieces of butter top the filling.

When you do add the apple mixture, try to compress it into the pan so there aren’t a lot of air spaces.  This way the crust will form to the apples and won’t make a big air pocket.  The mixture should mound over the rim of the pie dish – it will significantly shrink when baking.  The second piece of pastry dough is a little easier and will be smaller to just cover.  If you think of it when you split the dough into two discs, make one larger than the other and use it for the bottom.  It is best to sprinkle a little water on the outside of the bottom crust so that when you add the top piece, it will help the dough to stick together and form a rim.  Using a fork to crimp the dough works great – and you can learn to make a scalloped edge by using two knuckles and an index finger to shape the scallops after hou have a thick rim.  Always cut a few holes out of the top crust for vents – it allows the steam to escape and helps thicken the fruit juice into a wonderfully silky sauce.

top crust placed on top – all you need to do is wet the crust underneath lightly to help it form together – then crimp edges.

finished pie ready to be brushed with cream. Air vents are important too!

Last, I brush the crust with a little half and half or milk.  It adds a nice richness and also makes the crust brown up beautifully.  If I am making the pie ahead and freeze it – I place two large pieces of foil underneath the pie and place it all on a large baking sheet.  I put the entire baking sheet in the freezer so it is flat and allow it to freeze for a few hours before wrapping it up tightly with a few more pieces of foil. Freezing it well before wrapping tighly also protects the crust from getting smashed or deformed.

Double Crust Pastry for 10″ pie

makes top and bottom crust for a 10" pie

Ingredients

2 2/3 cups  all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shortening – like Crisco – chilled, if possible

1/4 cup cold butter cut into 1/2″ or less pieces
7 to 8 tablespoons cold water

Instructions

Measure flour and salt into a medium size bowl – or bowl of your mixer.   Stir to spread salt around.  Using a pastry blender, cut shortening and butter into flour until shortening particles are the size of peas or smaller. Sprinkle water, a few tablespoons at a time, into the mixture – stir gently – or using paddle attachment on mixer, blend until the mixture forms a ball and if moistened throughout.  Gather dough into two balls, one slightly larger than the other – this will be for the bottom crust.  Form each into a disc about 1 1/2″ thick.  Wrap well with saran wrap and refrigerate for several hours or up to a few days.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker. Note:  It is important to keep the butter cold and cut into smaller pieces before cutting into the flour.  You will see in the photo – that some of the butter pieces remained rather large in my dough.  It worked but can cause melting – and burning when baking.

Apple Pie, deep dish

Serves 10 healthy slices, more if you sliver!

Prep time for dough and filling about 1 hour.

Bake time fresh about 75 minutes @ 400' (cover edges with foil for most of the baking time to keep it from getting too brown)

Bake time frozen - close to 2 hours - start at lower temp 325 with loose foil cover. remove foil and after an hour turn up to 375'. Cover with foil if browns too much last 15 -30 minutes

Ingredients

 

pastry for double crust 10″ pie

8 to 10 good size apples.  I prefer a variety of sweet, sour and hard and soft apples for best flavor and texgture.  9 or 10 cups

1/3  cup flour

2/3 to 3/4 cup  cup sugar

1 Tbs cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 – 2 tsp lemon juice if apples are not tart

1-2 Tbs butter cut into small pieces

1/4 cup half and half of heavy cream

 

 

Instructions

Peel and core the apples and slice them into small pieces about 1/4″ x 1″ long, no larger.  Place into large bowl then add lemon juice if desired.  Toss flour, salt, sugar and cinnamon into the apples and mix well to coat the apples.

Pour the filling into the bottom pie crust and pack it in, but not too tight.  Air pockets will form if you don’t compress the apples a little bit.  Dot the top of the filling mixture with small pieces of butter.

Roll out the top crust and place onto the bottom crust.  Using a little water, it helps to wet the outer edge of the bottom crust in order to aid the top crust in sealing together with the bottom. Roll the two crusts together to form a ridge.  Crimp with a fork, or form into a fluted edge.

Cut air holes in desired pattern, or prick all over with a fork to allow steam to escape while baking. Brush with cream or half and half all over the top crust – this will give it a golden brown color.

Place onto a sheet pan that is lined with foil.  I typically start with a loose foil cover as well to keep the crust from browning too fast on top.

Preheat oven to 400′ for fresh and 325′ for frozen.

Notes

If baking from frozen especially, the pie may look done but the apples are not get cooked enough.  I suggest turning the oven off and loosely cover with foil and allow the pie to sit in the warm oven for an additional 15-30 minutes to soften the apples.

Allow the pie to cool at least 2 hours before eating.