Foolproof Apple Pie
By King Arthur Flour Company Inc.
Foolproof Apple Pie
By King Arthur Flour Company Inc.
Yield/Serves:
Makes 1 pie
Filling:
Perfect Pie Crust:
- 8 cups sliced apples
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¼ cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ cup boiled cider or undiluted apple juice concentrate
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, for glazing
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, for glazing
Perfect Pie Crust:
- 1-½ cups Perfect Pastry Blend or King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons shortening
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 to 5 tablespoons ice water
Make smiles appear at your next holiday function with this traditional spiced apple pie, topped with a whipping cream glazed crust.
To make the pie crust: Whisk together the flour and salt.
Add the shortening, working it in until the mixture is evenly crumbly.
Add the butter to the flour mixture, and work it in roughly with your fingers, a pastry cutter, or a mixer. Don’t be too thorough; the mixture should be very uneven, with big chunks of butter in among the smaller ones.
Add 2 tablespoons of water, and toss to combine.
Toss with enough additional water to make a chunky mixture. It should barely hold together when you squeeze a handful, though the remainder may look quite dry.
Scoop the mixture out onto a piece of parchment or waxed paper, and flatten it out a bit. Take a spray bottle of water, and spritz the dry parts with the water.
Using the parchment or waxed paper, fold the dough over on itself — first from one side, then from the other. You’ll find that the dry crumbs are becoming incorporated with the cohesive dough. If there are still dry areas, spritz them with additional water, and fold the dough on itself again. Keep folding and gathering until just a few dry crumbs remain unincorporated; this should only take a few folds.
Shape the dough into a disk about 1" thick, and refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer; this resting period allows the flour to absorb the water, thus, making the dough easier to roll out.
When you’re “ready to roll ”, remove the dough from the fridge. If the dough has been refrigerated longer than 30 minutes, let it rest at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before rolling to allow the butter to soften up a bit.
To make the filling and assemble the pie: Lightly grease a 9-" pie pan that’s at least "es deep. This will make serving the pie easier after it’s baked.
Combine the sliced apples and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cornstarch, salt and spices. Sprinkle the mixture over the apples, and stir to coat them. Stir in the boiled cider or apple juice concentrate.
Roll out half of the pastry to a 13" circle. Transfer it to the prepared pan, and trim the edges so they overlap the rim of the pan by an inch all the way around.
Spoon the apple filling into the pan. Dot the top with the diced butter.
Roll out the remaining pastry to an 11" circle. Cut decorative vent holes, if desired. Carefully place the pastry over the apples.
Preheat the oven to 425°
Roll the overhanging bottom crust up and over the top crust, pinching to seal the two.
lute the edges of the pie, then place it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to firm up the crust while the oven finishes heating.
Place the pie on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Use a silicone pastry brush to coat the top of the pie with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake the pie for 20 minutes at 425°, then reduce the oven temperature to 375° and bake for 40 minutes more, until the filling bubbles inside the pie. Check the pie after half an hour of baking time, and cover the edges with foil or a pie shield to keep them from browning too quickly.
When the pie is done, remove it from the oven and cool it completely before slicing.
To make the pie crust: Whisk together the flour and salt.
Add the shortening, working it in until the mixture is evenly crumbly.
Add the butter to the flour mixture, and work it in roughly with your fingers, a pastry cutter, or a mixer. Don’t be too thorough; the mixture should be very uneven, with big chunks of butter in among the smaller ones.
Add 2 tablespoons of water, and toss to combine.
Toss with enough additional water to make a chunky mixture. It should barely hold together when you squeeze a handful, though the remainder may look quite dry.
Scoop the mixture out onto a piece of parchment or waxed paper, and flatten it out a bit. Take a spray bottle of water, and spritz the dry parts with the water.
Using the parchment or waxed paper, fold the dough over on itself — first from one side, then from the other. You’ll find that the dry crumbs are becoming incorporated with the cohesive dough. If there are still dry areas, spritz them with additional water, and fold the dough on itself again. Keep folding and gathering until just a few dry crumbs remain unincorporated; this should only take a few folds.
Shape the dough into a disk about 1" thick, and refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer; this resting period allows the flour to absorb the water, thus, making the dough easier to roll out.
When you’re “ready to roll ”, remove the dough from the fridge. If the dough has been refrigerated longer than 30 minutes, let it rest at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before rolling to allow the butter to soften up a bit.
To make the filling and assemble the pie: Lightly grease a 9-" pie pan that’s at least "es deep. This will make serving the pie easier after it’s baked.
Combine the sliced apples and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cornstarch, salt and spices. Sprinkle the mixture over the apples, and stir to coat them. Stir in the boiled cider or apple juice concentrate.
Roll out half of the pastry to a 13" circle. Transfer it to the prepared pan, and trim the edges so they overlap the rim of the pan by an inch all the way around.
Spoon the apple filling into the pan. Dot the top with the diced butter.
Roll out the remaining pastry to an 11" circle. Cut decorative vent holes, if desired. Carefully place the pastry over the apples.
Preheat the oven to 425°
Roll the overhanging bottom crust up and over the top crust, pinching to seal the two.
lute the edges of the pie, then place it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to firm up the crust while the oven finishes heating.
Place the pie on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Use a silicone pastry brush to coat the top of the pie with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake the pie for 20 minutes at 425°, then reduce the oven temperature to 375° and bake for 40 minutes more, until the filling bubbles inside the pie. Check the pie after half an hour of baking time, and cover the edges with foil or a pie shield to keep them from browning too quickly.
When the pie is done, remove it from the oven and cool it completely before slicing.