I love pie. I love to make it. I love the smell of it. I love the idea of it. Of course, I love to eat it. For some reason it gives me a lot of satisfaction. I think maybe it has something to do with the process. By taking very humble ingredients (flour, fat, salt, fresh fruit) you can create something I would say makes most people's mouths water and ultimately bring them joy. Plus there is nothing more beautiful than a just-baked, mile-high pie cooling on a rack. There is something uniquely all-American about fruit pies and it is something that the common everyday person can make. You do not have to be a trained chef but you do need skill. Skill earned by failure, practice and much experience. I think most people keep making them because it is a labor of love that gives so much pleasure to so many people. Pies aren't fancy desserts. They don't pretend to be. I think that is part of it's appeal. They remind everyone of home and are the ultimate in comfort food. It just makes you feel good. I'm reminded of the movie Waitress, starring Keri Russell a few years back. Her character made pies as therapy... a way of dealing with her circumstances. She channeled all her frustrations, stress, anger and ultimately love and happiness into her pies. I too use it as a form of therapy. In fact all of cooking is therapeutic. Anyway, it's a great film and I highly recommend it. A great film to eat pie by too.
It's been awhile since I made a classic, double-crust apple pie. This weekend seemed like a good time as any. Plus there is never a bad time for pie. I've been thinking about apple pie for a few months now. Growing up, our family never made pies. We bought them from family-owned bakeries. One in particular was Paul's apple pie. It was very good. Nice flaky crust with shiny, crunchy sugar on top and glossy apple pie filling. I've also had the frozen Mrs. Smith's which I never loved. In fact, it was barely ok.
I realized at that point that I had to make my own from scratch. It seemed daunting and overwhelming but I had the desire to do it. I've tried a few recipes and found that the classic, apple pie recipe from Cook's Illustrated is the best. The pastry is always flaky and makes a beautiful crust. They recommend a mixture of butter and shortening. Shortening is a transfat and they have updated their recipe with an alternate all-butter crust. Note to self: must try the all-butter crust. The apple filling is a mixture of two types of apples. Granny Smith which holds it shape well when cooked and of course more on the tart side. MacIntosh because it cooks down and it is more of a traditional sweeter apple. The combination is fantastic when mixed with fresh lemon juice and zest (which adds a bright clean flavor), cinnamon, freshly ground nutmeg, allspice, sugar, salt and a scant amount of flour.
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| Cut the fat (butter & shortening) into the flour mixture. Pulse til mixture looks like coarse sand and chunks of butter are scattered throughout. |
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| The bottom crust. See the butter chunks? That's a good thing |
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| Then prepare the apples. I use 4 MacIntosh and 4 Granny Smiths. This is probably the most time consuming part of the recipe. Cherry Pie takes much longer with all the pitting. |
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| Fresh lemon juice/zest, cinnamon, allspice, freshly ground nutmeg, some salt and flour to help thicken the juices. But no butter pieces. From what I've been told, butter can muddy the flavor. |
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| Roll out the top crust. This is the part that requires lots of practice and can be the most frustrating part. Tempers can flare as hot as your preheating oven. |
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| This is my favorite part because it really begins to look like a pie, plus the smell of the apples with the spices and lemon is well so apple pie-y. |
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| Put the top crust on very carefully. This is a very satisfying part as well. It is like wrapping a gift. Carefully folding the crust under itself to seal everything in and then crimping the edges. |
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| I love how rustic it looks. It doesn't have to be perfect. The irregular shapes add to the "homeyness" of it. Cut steam vents, brush with egg white and sprinkle sugar on top. |
TA-DA! Initially it bakes at a higher temperature and then a lower one to ensure your apples cook and your bottom crust is brown. No one wants a raw bottom crust. As tempting as it is, you cannot for any reason cut into the pie until 4 hours have elapsed or longer. If you don't your pie will be watery and your filling will not have set. Trust me you will not be happy. If you have never made a fresh apple pie I highly recommend it. It will give you much satisfaction.... and many people will want to be your friend.
Here is the recipe. Let me know how it goes (the good and the bad) and if you like this recipe.
CLASSIC APPLE PIE (Cook's Illustrated)
Serves 8.
If you are making this pie during the fall apple season, when many local varieties may be available, follow the recipe below using Macoun, Royal Gala, Empire, Winesap, Rhode Island Greening or Cortland apples. These are well-balanced apples, unlike Granny Smith, and work well on their own without thickeners or the addition of McIntosh. Placing the pie on a baking sheet in the oven inhibits cooking, so cover the bottom of the oven with a sheet of aluminum foil to catch a dripping juices. The pie is best eaten when cooled almost to room temperature, or even the next day. See the last procedural step for do-ahead instructions.
Pie Dough
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
8 tablespoons vegetable shortening (chilled)
6 - 8 tablespoons ice water
Apple Filling
2 pounds Granny Smith apples (4 medium)
2 pounds McIntosh apples (4 medium)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest from 1 medium lemon
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 egg white, beaten lightly
1 tablespoon granulated sugar, for topping
Instructions:
1. Pulse flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor workbowl fitted with the steel blade. Add butter and pulse to mix in five 1-second bursts. Add shortening and continue pulsing until flour is pale yellow and resembles coarse cornmeal, four or five more 1-second pulses. Turn mixture into medium bowl. (To do this by hand, freeze the butter and shortening, grate it into the flour using the large holes of a box grater, and rub the flour-coated pieces between your fingers for a minute until the flour turns pale yellow and coarse.)
2. Sprinkle 6 tablespoons ice water over mixture. With blade of rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix. Press down on dough with broad side of spatula until dough sticks together, adding up to 2 tablespoons more ice water if dough will not hold together. Squeeze dough gently until cohesive and divide into two equal balls. Flatten each into a 4-inch-wide disk. Dust lightly with flour, wrap separately in plastic, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 days, before rolling.
3. Remove dough from refrigerator. If stiff and very cold, let stand until dough is cool but malleable. Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 425 degrees.
4. Roll one dough disk on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle. Fold dough in quarters, then place dough point in center of 9-inch Pyrex regular or deep dish pie pan. Unfold dough.
5. Gently press dough into sides of pan leaving portion that overhangs lip of pie plate in place. Refrigerate while preparing fruit.
6. Peel, core, and cut apples into 1/2-to-3/4-inch slices and toss with 3/4 cup sugar and lemon juice and zest through allspice. Turn fruit mixture, including juices, into chilled pie shell and mound slightly in center. Roll out other dough round and place over filling. Trim top and bottom edges to 1/2 inch beyond pan lip. Tuck this rim of dough underneath itself so that folded edge is flush with pan lip. Flute edging or press with fork tines to seal. Cut four slits at right angles on dough top. Brush egg white onto top of crust and sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar, (omit if freezing unbaked pie, see below).
7. Bake until top crust is golden, about 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees; continue baking until juices bubble and crust is deep golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes longer. Transfer pie to wire rack; cool to almost room temperature, at least 4 hours.
Here is the recipe. Let me know how it goes (the good and the bad) and if you like this recipe.
CLASSIC APPLE PIE (Cook's Illustrated)
Serves 8.
If you are making this pie during the fall apple season, when many local varieties may be available, follow the recipe below using Macoun, Royal Gala, Empire, Winesap, Rhode Island Greening or Cortland apples. These are well-balanced apples, unlike Granny Smith, and work well on their own without thickeners or the addition of McIntosh. Placing the pie on a baking sheet in the oven inhibits cooking, so cover the bottom of the oven with a sheet of aluminum foil to catch a dripping juices. The pie is best eaten when cooled almost to room temperature, or even the next day. See the last procedural step for do-ahead instructions.
Pie Dough
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
8 tablespoons vegetable shortening (chilled)
6 - 8 tablespoons ice water
Apple Filling
2 pounds Granny Smith apples (4 medium)
2 pounds McIntosh apples (4 medium)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest from 1 medium lemon
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 egg white, beaten lightly
1 tablespoon granulated sugar, for topping
Instructions:
1. Pulse flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor workbowl fitted with the steel blade. Add butter and pulse to mix in five 1-second bursts. Add shortening and continue pulsing until flour is pale yellow and resembles coarse cornmeal, four or five more 1-second pulses. Turn mixture into medium bowl. (To do this by hand, freeze the butter and shortening, grate it into the flour using the large holes of a box grater, and rub the flour-coated pieces between your fingers for a minute until the flour turns pale yellow and coarse.)
2. Sprinkle 6 tablespoons ice water over mixture. With blade of rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix. Press down on dough with broad side of spatula until dough sticks together, adding up to 2 tablespoons more ice water if dough will not hold together. Squeeze dough gently until cohesive and divide into two equal balls. Flatten each into a 4-inch-wide disk. Dust lightly with flour, wrap separately in plastic, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 days, before rolling.
3. Remove dough from refrigerator. If stiff and very cold, let stand until dough is cool but malleable. Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 425 degrees.
4. Roll one dough disk on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle. Fold dough in quarters, then place dough point in center of 9-inch Pyrex regular or deep dish pie pan. Unfold dough.
5. Gently press dough into sides of pan leaving portion that overhangs lip of pie plate in place. Refrigerate while preparing fruit.
6. Peel, core, and cut apples into 1/2-to-3/4-inch slices and toss with 3/4 cup sugar and lemon juice and zest through allspice. Turn fruit mixture, including juices, into chilled pie shell and mound slightly in center. Roll out other dough round and place over filling. Trim top and bottom edges to 1/2 inch beyond pan lip. Tuck this rim of dough underneath itself so that folded edge is flush with pan lip. Flute edging or press with fork tines to seal. Cut four slits at right angles on dough top. Brush egg white onto top of crust and sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar, (omit if freezing unbaked pie, see below).
7. Bake until top crust is golden, about 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees; continue baking until juices bubble and crust is deep golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes longer. Transfer pie to wire rack; cool to almost room temperature, at least 4 hours.
