Favorite Apple Pie Recipe

These words of wisdom and this apple pie recipe come from the All New, All Purpose Joy of Cooking and it's just one of the reasons why I love this cookbook! A hundred years ago, when pies were often eaten at breakfast as well as supper, many American housewives baked a dozen or more fruit pies every week. Today many home bakers have never made a covered fruit pie, and for them we give a general orientation. We urge you not to judge your fruit pies against the picture-perfect specimens shown in magazine photographs. Under real home conditions, fruit pies often bubble over during baking, brown unevenly, stick to the pan, and yield somewhat runny slices. And no matter what you do, the undercrust always turns out slightly soft on the side facing the fruit. None of this should deter you. Fruit pies are simple, homey desserts, meant for eating, not display. And they are indeed delicious!

Flaky Pastry Dough

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. white sugar or 1 Tbsp. powdered sugar

1 tsp. salt

Add:

1 cup solid vegetable shortening, or 1/2 cup shortening

and 8 Tbsp. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter

Break the shortening into large chunks; if using butter, cut it into small pieces, then add it to the flour mixture. Cut the fat into the dry ingredients by chopping vigorously with a pastry blender or by cutting in opposite directions with 2 knives, one held in each hand. As you work, periodically stir dry flour up from the bottom of the bowl and scrape clinging fat off the pastry blender or knives. When you are through, some of the fat should remain in pea-sized pieces; the rest should be reduced to the consistency of coarse crumbs or cornmeal. The mixture should seem dry and powdery and not pasty or greasy. Drizzle over the flour and fat mixture:

1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. ice water

Using the rubber spatula, cut with the blade side until the mixture looks evenly moistened and begins to form small balls. Press down on the dough with the flat side of the spatula. If the balls of dough stick together, you have added enough water; if they do not, drizzle over the top:

1 to 2 Tbsp. ice water

Cut in the water, again using the blade of the spatula, then press with your hand until the dough coheres. The dough should look rough, not smooth. Divide the dough in half, press each half into a round flat disk, and wrap tightly in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, and preferably for several hours, or for up to 2 days before rolling. The dough can also be wrapped airtight and frozen for up to 6 months; thaw completely before rolling.

Apple Pie Filling

Because raw apples shrink a great deal during baking, apple pies tend to develop a gap between the top crust and fruit, causing the top crust to crumble when the pie is sliced. In this recipe, the filling is precooked and thus preshrunk, eliminating the gap and producing a beautifully full, compact pie that slices like a charm. Precooking also allows you to cover the pie with a lattice top if you choose. As one would expect, this pie is slightly softer than one made with raw apples, and the filling has a certain smoothness on the tongue. On the other hand, since the filling requires no thickener, the pie has a lovely fruity taste.

We like using Golden Delicious apples in this pie because they retain their texture and do not flood the pie with juice. Gala and Fuji are also good. Classic alternatives are: Newton Pippin, Rhode Island Greening, Winesap, Northern Spy, and Jonathan. We do not recommend Granny Smiths; although crisp when raw, all too often they turn mushy when baked in a pie with both a top and a bottom crust.

Roll half the dough into a 13-inch round, fit it into a 9-inch pie pan, and trim the overhanging dough to 3/4 inch all around. Refrigerate. Roll the other half into a 12-inch round for the top crust and refrigerate it.

Peel, core, and slice a little thicker than 1/4 inch:

3 pounds apples (6 to 8 medium-large)

Measure 7 cups. In a very wide skillet or pot, heat over high heat until sizzling and fragrant;

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Add the apples and toss until glazed with the butter. Reduce the heat to medium, cover tightly, and cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are softened on the outside but still slightly crunchy, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in:

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. salt

Increase the heat to high and cook the apples at a rapid boil until the juices become thick and syrupy, about 3 minutes. Immediately spread the apples in a thin layer on a baking sheet and let them cool to room temperature.

Position rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Pour the apple mixture into the bottom crust. Brush the overhanging edge of the bottom crust with cold water. Cover with the top crust or lattice, then seal the edge, trim, and crimp or flute. If using a closed top crust, cut steam vents. (At this point, I like to sprinkle the top crust with a little cinnamon and sugar). Bake until the crust is richly browned and the filling has begun to bubble, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack, 3 to 4 hours. If you wish to serve the pie warm, place it in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes. The pie is best if eaten promptly, but it can be kept at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.

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