Apple Pie
The American apple pie: double-crust, made-from-scratch, cooked-down apple filling spiced with cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg, sealed in flaky butter pastry, the top vented or lattice-cut. The crust shatters in shards; the filling is just-set, neither runny nor solid. Eats warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Overview
All-butter pie pastry rests in two discs. The filling, a mix of apples (Bramleys for tartness and break-down, Granny Smith and Braeburn for hold), brown sugar, cinnamon, lemon, cornflour, pre-cooks slightly to release water and keep the crust from going soggy. Bottom crust lines a pie dish; filling piles in tall (it sinks); top crust seals on, vented. Egg-washed and sugar-dusted; baked until deep gold.
Ingredients
Pastry
- 400 g plain flour
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 250 g cold unsalted butter (cubed)
- 6-8 tablespoons ice water
Filling
- 1.4 kg mixed apples (Bramley + Granny Smith + Braeburn; peeled, cored, sliced 8 mm)
- 150 g light brown sugar
- 50 g caster sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornflour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 lemon (juice)
- 30 g unsalted butter (cubed)
Glaze
- 1 egg (large, beaten with 1 tablespoon water)
- 2 tablespoons demerara (or coarse sugar)
Method
Stage 1 - Pastry
- Whisk the flour, sugar and salt in a wide bowl.
- Rub in the cold butter until roughly the size of small peas (some larger flakes are good - they make the crust flaky).
- Add the ice water a tablespoon at a time, mixing with a knife, until the dough just comes together.
- Divide into 2 unequal discs (slightly larger for the bottom).
- Wrap in cling film; refrigerate 1 hour.
Stage 2 - Filling
- Combine the apples, both sugars, cornflour, spices, salt and lemon juice in a wide pan.
- Cook over medium heat 8-10 minutes, stirring, until the apples release liquid and it thickens slightly.
- Cool fully - warm filling melts the bottom crust.
Stage 3 - Assemble
- Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
- Roll the larger disc to a 32 cm round; line a 23 cm pie dish, leaving overhang.
- Pile in the cooled filling; mound it slightly higher in the centre (it'll sink).
- Dot with the cubed butter.
- Roll the smaller disc to a 28 cm round; lay over the filling.
- Trim both crusts to a 1 ½ cm overhang; tuck under itself; crimp the edge.
- Cut 4-5 vents in the top with a sharp knife (or weave a lattice).
Stage 4 - Glaze
- Brush the top with the egg wash; sprinkle generously with demerara sugar.
Stage 5 - Bake
- Place the pie on a foil-lined baking tray (catches drips).
- Bake 55-65 minutes until the crust is deep golden and you can see filling bubbling through the vents.
- If the edge browns too fast, cover with foil after 30 minutes.
Stage 6 - Cool
- Cool at least 3 hours before slicing - this is non-negotiable. Hot pie is filling soup; the cornflour needs time to set.
Stage 7 - Serve
- Cut wedges; serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- Cold butter, cold water: Pastry-making rule. Warm butter melts into the flour instead of staying in flakes; the result is dense, not flaky.
- Pre-cook the filling: Raw apples release a lot of water during baking; uncooked filling makes a soggy bottom and a runny pie. The brief cook drives water off and starts the cornflour thickening.
- Cool before slicing: A pie cut hot oozes everywhere. 3-4 hours minimum at room temperature lets the filling set.
Storage
- Keeps 3 days at room temperature, covered loosely. Day 2 is arguably the best - the filling has fully set.
- Freezes 3 months.
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