Description
Classic apple pie from scratch delights home bakers with its perfect balance of buttery crust and cinnamon-spiced fruit filling. Warm slices served with vanilla ice cream create a comforting dessert you’ll want to share with family and friends.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 lbs (1.3 kg) tart apples
- 2 ⅔ cups (350 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, chilled
- 1 large (50 g) egg
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated white sugar
- ⅓ cup (65 g) light brown sugar
- 2 tbsps (30 g) granulated white sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp (1 g) salt
- 1 tsp (4 g) kosher salt
- 1 ½ tbsps (15 g) cornstarch
- 2 tbsps (25 g) butter, cut into small pieces
- ½ – 1 tbsp water
- ¼ to ½ cup (60 – 120 ml) icy cold filtered water
- 1 tsp water
Instructions
- Prepare Apples: Slice apples in a large bowl, tossing with lemon juice to prevent discoloration, then combine with sugars, spices, and salt, ensuring even coating.
- Macerate Mixture: Position apples in a colander over a bowl, covering with plastic wrap, allowing natural juices to release for 1-2 hours to intensify flavor profile.
- Create Pie Dough: Pulse flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor, then add cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually incorporate cold water until dough forms a cohesive mass.
- Chill and Roll Dough: Divide dough into two portions, flatten into discs, wrap, and refrigerate for one hour. Roll each portion into 12-inch rounds, transferring one to a pie dish and keeping the second on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Prepare Filling Sauce: Reduce collected apple liquid in a saucepan, blend cornstarch with water to create a smooth slurry, then integrate into juices until translucent and cooled.
- Assemble Pie: Combine cooled sauce with drained apple slices, transfer to bottom crust, dot with butter pieces, cover with top crust, trim edges, and create steam vents.
- Finish and Bake: Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, then bake at 425°F (218°C) on a lower rack for 45-55 minutes, covering edges with foil after 30 minutes to prevent over-browning.
- Cool and Serve: Remove from oven and let pie cool completely on a wire rack for 3-4 hours before slicing and enjoying.
Notes
- Prevent Apple Browning: Coat slices immediately with lemon juice to maintain fresh color and prevent oxidation.
- Maximize Flavor Depth: Let apple mixture macerate 1-2 hours to intensify natural sweetness and develop complex taste profile.
- Perfect Pie Crust Technique: Keep butter and water extremely cold to ensure flaky, tender texture that separates into delicate layers.
- Strategic Baking Approach: Place baking sheet on lower oven rack to catch potential drips and promote even bottom crust browning.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 25 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 60 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg