The Best Apple Pie
I LOVE APPLE PIE.
There’s nothing more comforting than warm apple pie especially when it’s topped with vanilla ice cream. If I had to choose a favorite dessert, it’d be a close match between warm chocolate chip cookies and apple pie. But the combination of buttery, salty pie crust and gooey, sweet apples is incomparable.
Ry’s birthday was this past Monday and every year we argue about how he needs a cake or a pie or some sort of dessert. A birthday without cake is not a birthday at all, right?! He typically relents and requests Funfetti cake but this year he asked for an apple pie. I’ll take any excuse to make a pie (most of the time I don’t need one) so I was super excited that he choose the best apple pie.
I know “the best apple pie” sounds like an exaggeration but I assure you the name is warranted. I don’t call just anything “the best” and it’s not an adjective I take likely. I mean obviously my husband is the best husband and my dog is the best dog and my baby is the best baby but there’s no nepotism for apple pie so it’s a (mostly) objective description. But try it for yourself to see!
THE PIE CRUST.
While the apple filing is considered the star of the show, I’d argue the pie crust makes or breaks a pie. If your crust doesn’t hold up to the filing or if it crumbles under the weight of the apples, you don’t have a pie at all.
When I first began my pie journey a few years ago, I was using an all-butter crust. But after a few crumbly crusts and some frustration with rolling, I did some research to come up with a better result. I found recipes that called for shortening and lard but I liked the idea of still have butter in my crust. My mother-in-law gave me a ton of old cooking magazines when I decided to start this blogging journey last year and I found a pie crust within one of those magazines (from 1997!) that used a combination of butter and vegetable shortening. I tried it and I was sold — butter and shortening was the perfect combination.
I’m a huge fan of the lattice crust. It’s very pretty but also helps the ratio of crust to apples. The first time I made a lattice crust, it took me a couple of minutes of playing around with how the strips lay in order to figure out the general idea of over, under, etc. Now I like to do a different look each time I make a pie. For this pie I decided on super thick uniform strips and I think it’s my prettiest pie to date — almost too pretty to eat.. almost.
THE APPLES.
You can definitely use one kind of apple if that’s all you have on hand but I find that using several varieties makes for a more delicious pie. I love the combination of tart granny smith and sweet galas and honeycrisps. I used 2 galas, 1 honeycrisp and 5 granny smith (I ended up added 2 more after I took the photo below).
I peel each apple and cut around the core then slice them thin. The slices aren’t uniform but with almost an hour in the oven they all get soft and gooey regardless of uniformity. A simple combination of flour, cane sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and lemon juice mixed with the apples provides that signature apple pie taste and makes the perfect apple filing.
LET THEM EAT PIE
So whether you’re celebrating a birthday, an upcoming summer holiday or are in the mood for a just-because pie, the best apple pie recipe is a simple and delicious choice!
Musician: @iksonofficial
PRODUCTS
This is the pie pan I use. It’s super cheap but sturdy and easy to clean.
My wooden cutting board. I have 2 — perfect for charcuterie boards!
If you’re in the market for an investment knife, I’ve had my Mac knife for over a year and it’s my most prized possession. It makes slicing everything a breeze!
King Arthur Unbleached Flour is my favorite.
Spectrum Organic Vegetable Shortening is the BEST. I used to think Crisco was the holy grail but no more!
The Best Apple Pie
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 2½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed You want the butter to be very cold, I either pop it in the freezer for a few minutes or I don't take the butter out until I need it.
- ¾ tbsp vegetable shortening I do the same thing as with the butter once I measure out the shortening.
- ½ cup ice water I measure out 1/2 cup water & add a few ice cubes so that the water is ice cold.
Apple Filing
- 6-8 apples, peeled, cored & sliced. ~8 cups. I typically use a few different kinds of apples.. my favorites are granny smith, honeycrisp and gala.
- ½ cup sugar I use organic cane sugar.
- ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp cloves can omit if you don't have
- juice from half a large lemon ~2-3 tbsp
Instructions
Pie Crust
- Add flour and salt to a large bowl, mix.
- Add cubed butter to the bowl and massage the butter into the flour until all butter pieces are pie-sized.
- Add shortening to the bowl and massage the same way as the butter.
- Remove ice from water and add water a bit at a time until the dough comes together and no longer crumbles. You want it to be smooth and not sticky. If you add too much water you add a bit more flour to compensate for the extra liquid.
- Separate dough into two balls. Flatten each dough ball to make two discs. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour or up to overnight.
- When ready to use the dough, roll the first disc out until it is bigger than your pie pan. I lay it on a large cutting board or my counter and use a roller and clockwise turning motion to create a circular shape. You want the crust to be thin but not see-through. You may need to sprinkle flour under the crust as you're rolling so the dough doesn't stick to the surface. Lay the rolled-out crust over your pie pan and gently press it into the pan. I fold the dough over itself twice then lay it over the pan and unfold — this helps it maintain it's shape / prevents tearing.
- For the lattice crust (if making one), roll the second disc out the same one you rolled the first one but instead of placing it over the pan, cut it into strips using a pizza cutter or knife. For this pie I chose very strips but you can do whatever thickness you want. Place strips vertically over the entire pie, spaced however you want. Take a strip and lay it horizontally at the top of the pie. Alternate laying it over or under by moving the vertical strips over top of it. Repeat until the lattice is complete to your liking. You can see the steps I took in the video above.
Apple Filling
- Peel, core and slice 6-8 apples. You want at least 8 cups of sliced apples. Add to a large bowl.
- Add flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and lemon juice to the apples. Mix using a spatula or spoon until all of the apples are covered. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour or overnight. You want the apples to soak and soften.
- Once you begin assembling the pie, add all of the apple mixture to the pan pie over the first pie crust.
- After the pie is assembled, bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 20 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 35-40 minutes.
- Let cool a bit before slicing (~10 minutes) and serve warm. We love ours a la mode style with vanilla ice cream on top. Enjoy!
