The one trick that units this apple pie recipe aside and makes all of the distinction? Baking the apple slices first. It’s the magic key to a crispy base, superior flavour and perfectly-cooked-never-mushy filling. It’s additionally the way you get a beneficiant quantity of pie filling with out the dreaded large empty cavity beneath the lid.
Serve this all-time favorite heat with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the right home made dessert!
My excellent Apple Pie
Of all of the candy pies on the market, Apple Pie would possibly simply be essentially the most iconic of all of them. In America, it’s virtually its personal faith and discuss what precisely makes the right Apple Pie can get as prickly as politics.
Effectively, let me weigh in and let you know about my thought of the right Apple Pie.
My excellent pie is filled with a beneficiant quantity of apple filling that’s by no means mushy and by no means undercooked. There’s some spicing but it surely’s even-handed and doesn’t overwhelm. The filling can be not overly candy and received’t depart you greedy for a glass of water.
Then the pastry. All this cosy apple goodness is encased in a shell of irresistibly flaky, buttery shortcrust. It’s not chewy neither is it unhappy and soggy. And let’s not overlook the bottom! After all it’s obtained to be completely crispy – no exceptions.
That’s my imaginative and prescient of excellent Apple Pie. If that each one sounds good to you, then dare I say this would possibly change into your excellent apple pie recipe too. I hope you get pleasure from this recipe for a few years to come back!
Recipe credit – Many due to my French pastry chef trainer Jennifer Pogmore and RecipeTin’s Chef JB for his or her help and experience to carry my imaginative and prescient of the right Apple Pie to life. We did it!!!
The place so many Apple Pie recipes go mistaken
I don’t usually write so bluntly. However it is a very lengthy submit so I don’t have time for measured politeness!
My recipe for excellent Apple Pie is admittedly borne of all of the issues I’ve disliked about different Apple Pie recipes I’ve tried over time, which I wished to deal with. Right here’s my greatest gripes:
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Soggy base or crust not correctly cooked – This one’s a typical downside with recipes the place the crust is just not blind baked earlier than filling with apples, or uncooked apples are baked contained in the crust. Apple juices need to go someplace, you already know?? That someplace is into your pastry. (And nope, thickening with cornflour/cornstarch received’t save the pie.)
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Mushy apples. Or it’s reverse, crunchy undercooked apples – I don’t know which is worse. Each are only a large fats no!
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Overly candy fillings and spice overkill – I need to style the apples!
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Not a lot apple flavour – Some recipes even boil apples … ick. Simply no.
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Skimpy quantity of filling – Any recipe calling for lower than 1.5kg / 3lb of apples will find yourself fairly scant on the filling. Pies are alleged to be all about generosity!
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An enormous empty cavity beneath the lid – A recipe calling for uncooked apples to be piled excessive within the crust ends in a bulging pastry cage for a lid. The lid smashes in if you reduce it, making a frightful (although admittedly still-delicious) mess!
Studying again over my record, you could assume I’m a little bit of a whiny, difficult-to-please individual. 😂 It’s not that in any respect! Individuals in my life know very properly I’m removed from a hoity-toity kind.
For me, the factor about Apple Pie is that it’s not a fast recipe particularly if you take the time to make the crust from scratch. So the top consequence must be definitely worth the effort, ie. flawless!
The opposite factor – and that is the clincher – is that just about all the points I listed above boil right down to how the filling is handled. A filling made with uncooked apples for example is a quite common strategy however results in all types of issues like these I discussed.
If we are able to simply repair the filling, we’re laughing.
The answer: Bake the apples
The answer to my gripes turned out to be easy: Bake the apples. It’s as straightforward as that.
Right here’s why it really works:
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The apples cook dinner evenly
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The apple juices might be lowered to a syrup so it’s not runny and doesn’t soak the bottom
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The apples are cooked down first so that you don’t find yourself with a large empty pie-lid cavity
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It’s far simpler than stovetop-cooking your apples. Stirring a tonne of apple slices is just not enjoyable, plus they don’t actually cook dinner evenly.
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And … higher flavour!
OK! Able to see learn how to make my Apple Pie?? Let’s do that!
What you want to make Apple Pie filling
Right here’s what you want to make the Apple Pie filling. (PS The egg is misplaced, it’s for brushing the pastry!).
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Granny Smith apples – There’s loads of opinions on the market about the very best apples for apple pie. However for me, Granny Smith is The One, for its tartness and talent to carry its formed as soon as cooked. That is key for avoiding a mushy filling!
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Brown sugar – My alternative of sugar for caramelly sweetness. I exploit 1 cup of brown sugar which, to me, offers the right stage of sweet-but-not-too-sweet.
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Apple Pie spices – Cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Combine up your personal for higher flavour management over utilizing a pre-made combine!
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Butter – Only a dab, for simmering with the apple juices on the tray to make a syrup for the Apple Pie filling.
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Salt – Only a contact, to carry out the opposite flavours. It doesn’t make it salty in any respect.
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Egg – Used to brush the pie lid to make it a stupendous golden brown!
Apple Pie crust
The basic crust used for apple pie is shortcrust and that’s what I exploit. My recipe could be very commonplace (flour, butter, salt, water) although the one factor I ought to most likely handle is the talk about butter vs vegetable shortening.
Advocates of vegetable shortening (which is a kind of fats comprised of vegetable oil) love the way it makes shortcrust pastry ultra-crumbly and flaky.
I’ve no points with vegetable shortening per se, besides that it’s tasteless. So whereas shortcrust pastry made with butter will not be fairly as flaky, it’s nonetheless flaky sufficient to me and extra importantly, is an entire lot tastier to eat.
And in case your thoughts goes straight to “why not use a mix”?, you assume like me as a result of I attempted that too. However I simply discovered it nonetheless lacked flavour even utilizing a 50/50 combine.
So, all-butter shortcrust it’s! Recipe right here.
PS Additionally – I exploit a meals processor. As a result of I’ve sizzling little palms which soften the little bits of butter as I work with the dough. Meals processor = precisely the identical outcomes as handmade + superior flakiness + SPEED.
Methods to make Apple Pie
Heads up – there’s lots of info right here as a result of I clarify there why and likewise present tutorial info so even first-timers can have the arrogance to nail the Nice Apple Pie!
When you’re a professional, simply skip on forward to the recipe or the how-to video, or to Dozer. 😂 For everybody else, come alongside for the experience.
Sport plan: My Apple Pie workflow
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Make shortcrust pastry.
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Whereas the pastry lined pie tin is within the freezer for two hours, bake the apple slices.
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Whereas the apple is baking, roll out the pie lid and reduce the lattice strips, then refrigerate
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Whereas the apple slices are cooling, blind bake the pastry and scale back the apple juices to make the syrup.
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Assemble the pie and bake!
1. Put together the pie crust
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Shortcrust dough – Make the pastry per my (straightforward!) shortcrust pastry recipe. Kind the discs, wrap and chill for 1 hour within the fridge.
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Roll out – Unwrap one ball of dough and roll out on a flippantly floured work floor right into a spherical that’s about 5 mm / 1/5″ thick (not too skinny, must be sturdy sufficient for many juicy filling!)
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Line pie tin – I exploit an ordinary dimension 23 cm / 9″ metallic pie tin (not deep dish). Metallic is finest. You simply can’t get a correct crispy base with a glass or ceramic pie tin – we tried.
To line the pie tin, roll the pastry off the work floor onto the rolling pin, then unroll it onto the pie tin. This isn’t simply the best method to switch the pastry (no tearing!), additionally, you will keep away from stretching the pastry which then causes the crust to shrink when it bakes.
Drape the pastry into the pie tin, taking care to not stretch it as a result of, as famous above, stretched pastry will shrink again within the oven.
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Prick & freeze – Use a fork to softly prick the bottom round 20 instances (don’t go all through). This helps stop the bottom from effervescent up when baking which might trigger pie juice leakages.
Wrap the pie tin in cling wrap then freeze for two hours. You possibly can truly even depart it there for as much as 1 month (most likely longer, I simply haven’t accomplished so).
Freezing pastry is a terrific tip I discovered from my French pastry chef trainer Jennifer Pogmore (we work remotely collectively!). Baking a pastry from frozen ends in mainly zero pastry shrinkage.
It’s further essential to keep away from pie crust shrinkage for a totally loaded apple pie as this may result in a damaged crust when the crammed pie is baked! Think about all that filling in opposition to a pie crust that isn’t pressed up in opposition to the pie tin wall…. cracking danger galore, apple juices seeping beneath the crust which glues the crust to the pie tin…catastrophe! (And yup, been there accomplished that 😂).
2. Blind bake the crust
Blind baking (par baking) is essential to make sure the crust is not only crispy, but in addition absolutely cooked. We tried quite a few iterations with out blind baking the crust with combined outcomes. For some, the bottom was soggy, and for different variations, both the bottom and or/sides weren’t absolutely cooked.
Conclusion: blind baking is crucial!
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Cowl with paper – Cowl the frozen pie crust with two giant sheets of baking/parchment paper organized in a “X”. Extra paper is critical to guard the pie rim from browning too quick in addition to having loads to carry so you’ll be able to take away the recent beads safely.
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Baking beads – Fill with baking beads till stage to the rim. These overwhelm the bottom in addition to urgent the pastry in opposition to the edges of the pie tin so it prevents the pastry from shrinking. (Learn part above for why pastry shrinkage is undesirable for apple pie!).
No baking beads? Use raw rice or dried beans. Hold for re-use indefinitely.
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Bake for 25 minutes at200°C / 400°F (180°C fan).
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Take away the baking beads utilizing the paper overhang and switch to a bowl.
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Egg wash – Brush the bottom and sides (however not rim) flippantly with whisked egg. This can be a crispy base insurance coverage step – when the egg cooks, it types a skinny “barrier” to assist stop the pastry from absorbing the juices.
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Bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes then take away. The pie crust needs to be gentle golden and look absolutely cooked.
Depart to chill for quarter-hour earlier than filling with the Apple Pie Filling. This can be a crispy base insurance coverage step (sizzling pastry absorbs liquid extra).
3. Baking apple slices
Baking the apple slices is the important thing step for the Excellent Apple Pie. Learn the explanations within the part above!
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Slice apples – Core the apples utilizing your chosen technique. When you’re an apple-cooking fiend like myself, you’ll have an apple corer (maintain it straight as you twist down). If not, you’ll be able to simply core the apples utilizing no matter technique finest works for you.
Peel then halve the apples. Then place then reduce face down and reduce into 1cm / 0.4″ thick slices. Attempt to reduce them as evenly as doable in order that they cook dinner evenly.
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Toss – Put the apple slices in a big bowl. Combine the sugar and spices in a separate small bowl (I do know you simply need to dump them straight in however then the spices don’t disperse evenly). Then sprinkle the combination over the apple slices and use your palms to toss properly, separating apple slices as wanted so they’re evenly coated.
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Bake – Unfold onto 2 trays and bake at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) till the apples are tender however not mushy. The bake time will range from quarter-hour to 40 minutes, relying on the place you reside! An fascinating discovery once we have been testing this recipe as Granny Smith apples right here in Australia take 40 minutes whereas in France, it takes simply quarter-hour. Superb!
Easy lesson discovered – Examine your apples early. Straightforward!
Purpose: The apple slices needs to be tender and provide no resistance if you pierce them with a knife. Nonetheless, you don’t need them mushy. They are going to be a bit delicate when sizzling out of the oven however will agency up as they cool. And so they don’t cook dinner way more as soon as contained in the pie, it’s extra about melding collectively to change into a juicy pie filling.
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Apple juices – Drain the apple juices on the trays right into a saucepan. No must be pedantic right here, simply tilt the tray and use a spatula to to carry again the apple slices when you drain off as a lot as you’ll be able to. If there’s some left on the tray that’s okay – we are going to simply add it later.
You need to have round 1/2 cup of juices, although generally I’ve much less, some days I’ve extra. It doesn’t matter as a result of we’re lowering within the subsequent step to a certain quantity.
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Make syrup – Add the butter into the apple juices then simmer on low warmth till it reduces to 1/3 cup (80 ml) and turns into a syrupy consistency. It’d take 1 minute when you solely had round 1/3 cup, or 5 minutes when you began with 1/2 cup or extra.
Lowering the apple juices right into a syrup serves 2 functions. Firstly, we’re not losing free flavour. We’re getting apple flavour to the max! It made me need to cry each time I noticed an apple pie recipe that directed individuals to discard apple juices.
Secondly, by lowering the apple juices right into a syrup, it should cling to the apple items higher and won’t soak into the bottom as a lot. Which implies – yup, you guessed it – crispy base!
As soon as the syrup is prepared, put aside for cool.
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Cool apple – Set the cooked apple slices apart to chill. This can make them much less delicate to deal with and likewise ensures they don’t overcook into mush when baked contained in the pie within the 45 minute cook dinner time required for the pastry lid to cook dinner.
4. Fill the pie
OK! We’re on the house stretch right here to the very best half – EATING IT!!!
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Fill the pie crust with 2/3 of the cooled apple slices. I exploit a spatula to scoop them up with out destroying them. Place them within the pie crust and press down flippantly to take away air pockets.
Then with the remaining apple, kind a slight mound within the center then place the remaining apple slices on prime. You possibly can see in my picture I’ve positioned them barely overlapping in a neat association. You don’t want to try this!
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Pour over the apple syrup and any residual juices left on the tray.
5. Lattice tutorial!
OK! A little bit pie lattice tutorial. Promise it’s not onerous!
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Roll out the dough on a flippantly floured work floor to three mm / 1/8″ thick. You don’t need it too thick else it won’t cook dinner by by the point the floor is a stupendous golden color.
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Lower 12 x 2.5cm / 1″ strips. I exploit a ruler and a small sharp knife that I run alongside the ruler to chop the strips.
I have a tendency to do that step whereas the apples are baking, then return the strips to the fridge (lined in cling wrap) till required.
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Doing the lattice – Place 6 strips in the identical path on prime of the filling, evenly spaced aside.
Fold up each 2nd strip to midway, then place one other strip crosswise throughout the pie. Unfold the strips, then fold up the choice strips and place one other strip crosswise throughout the pie. Repeat with yet another strip, then rotate the pie and repeat with the remaining 3 strips.
Trim utilizing scissors or a small sharp knife.
Seal utilizing water and urgent to stick. I discover it best simply to make use of my finger.
6. Bake it!
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Pie lid or lattice – See beneath for the way I do the lattice topping.
Full pie lid – Place the lid on prime, trim extra then seal to the rim utilizing water. Make a 5cm / 2″ incision within the center to permit steam to flee.
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Egg wash & sugar – Brush the lattice with egg wash, taking care to keep away from the cooked pie rim (else it should get overly brown) and make sure you don’t find yourself with swimming pools of egg within the lattice joins. Then sprinkle with sugar.
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Bake for 45 minutes till the pastry is golden and also you see the juices effervescent.
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Cool – Totally cool for at the least 3 hours earlier than reducing to serve. When you do that, you’ll want to chop and serve it out of the pie tin as a result of the pie won’t be secure sufficient to take away. The slices can even be somewhat rustic. 🙂 Such is the character of freshly made pies!
Neat slices – If you need to serve the apple pie slices neatly, as pictured, simply refrigerate the pie in a single day. It can agency up and change into sturdy sufficient to end up onto a plate and reduce neat slices. Leaving in a single day additionally provides the pie filling flavour an opportunity to meld collectively much more.
To reheat, cowl with foil and reheat within the oven (10 minutes at 180°C/350°F) or use the microwave for a speedy possibility (1 minute). And sure, the bottom stays crisp!
Right here’s an in depth up of the reduce apple pie after it’s rested in a single day and been reheated within the oven. Nonetheless good and juicy, and cuts neatly.
Serving with ice cream is just not even an possibility. It goes with out saying – proper??!! Would cream take it excessive?
And there you’ve it. My excellent apple pie! A wierd time to share it maybe, heading into Australian summer season. However one can not at all times select when she’s going to *lastly* be proud of a recipe although she is kind of happy that she managed to squeeze this in simply earlier than Thanksgiving! – Nagi x
PS I don’t know why I’m writing about myself within the third individual. Notice to self: come again and repair this!
Watch learn how to make it
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Apple Pie
Prep: 1 hr
Prepare dinner: 2 hrs
Cooling – minimal: 3 hrs
Dessert, Pie
Western
Servings10 -12
Faucet or hover to scale
Directions
Pie crust:
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Shortcrust: Make 2 x shortcrust pastry recipe. Kind the dough discs, wrap and refrigerate per the recipe.
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Line tin: Roll out one dough simply giant sufficient to suit a 23cm/9″ metallic pie tin, following instructions within the shortcrust recipe. You need the bottom comparatively thick so it is sturdy. Trim off extra pastry, prick the bottom 20 instances with a fork (do not pierce by).
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Freeze (Notice 4): Cowl with cling wrap and freeze for two hours. In the meantime, bake apple.
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Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F (180°C fan).
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Blind bake (Notice 5): Place two giant sheets of baking/parchment paper in a “X” over the pie tin then fill with baking beads (Notice 4). Bake 25 minutes. Use paper extra to take away beads right into a bowl. Return crust to oven for five minutes.
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Cool: Crust needs to be gentle golden and look absolutely cooked. Cool quarter-hour earlier than filling.
Lattice (Notice 6 for full lid):
Apple Pie Filling:
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Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan).
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Spice combine: Combine the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt in a bowl.
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Toss: In a big bowl, sprinkle spice combine over apple slices. Toss properly with palms, separating items caught collectively.
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Bake: Unfold on 2 giant trays. Bake till comfortable however nonetheless holding kind – test first at 15 min, takes me 40 min. (Notice 7). Don’t stir or rotate trays.
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Drain off juices: Take away trays from oven. Utilizing a spatula to carry the apples again, pour apple juices right into a saucepan (do what you’ll be able to, do not want each drop).
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Cool apple: Depart apple slices to chill on the tray – about quarter-hour.
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Apple syrup: Add butter into apple juices then simmer on low warmth till it reduces to 1/3 cup (80 ml) and turns into syrupy. This would possibly take 1 minute when you did not begin with a lot juices, or 3 minutes+ when you began with 1/2 cup+ juices. Take away from range and let cool.
Assemble and bake:
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Fill: Use a spatula to scoop up apple slices. Fill the pie crust with 2/3 of the apples, gently urgent out air pockets. Then organize the remaining apples on prime in a slight mound. Pour apple syrup over the slices and any residual juices on the baking trays.
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Lattice or lid: Prime with lattice – see in submit for my technique. Trim extra, press to stick onto rim utilizing water to seal. Brush lattice with egg wash (keep away from cooked pie rim else will over-brown), making certain you do not get swimming pools of egg within the joins. Sprinkle with sugar.
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Bake 45 minutes or till the pastry is golden and also you see the syrup effervescent by the lattice.
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Serving: Cool at the least 3 hours earlier than reducing to serve!
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For neat slices: After cooling, refrigerate in a single day. Flip pie out of pie dish (it is sturdy sufficient!). Then you’ll be able to reduce neat slices. Place on a tray, cowl with foil and reheat for 10 minutes in a 180°C/350°F oven (or microwave in emergency!). Serve with vanilla ice cream, at all times!
Recipe Notes:
1. Crust – If utilizing retailer purchased pie crust, observe packet instructions.
2. Granny Smith is my alternative for apple pie for its tart flavour which performs so properly with the sugar and spices, and since it holds its kind properly when cooked (fairly than turning into child meals).
3. Sugar for a glowing crust. Non-obligatory.
4. Freezing prevents pastry shrinkage. It actually works and is price doing. Taught to me by my French Pastry Chef trainer Jennifer Pogmore. Freeze in a single day or as much as 1 month!
Baking beads additionally helps stop pastry shrinkage. Don’t have any? Use raw rice grains or dried beans. Save for re-use one other time!
5. Par baking the crust is essential for making certain the pie crust is absolutely cooked and crisp. When you begin with uncooked dough, you’ll find yourself with some uncooked patches whether or not on the bottom or sides, or each, and/or soggy base.
6. Full pie lid (ie not lattice) – Roll out pastry and don’t reduce strips. Seal to rim utilizing water, reduce 2.5cm/1″ cross in centre. Brush with egg and sprinkle with sugar, bake per recipe.
7. Apple baking time – Begin checking your apples on the 15 minute mark as we found throughout testing that the identical number of apples differ drastically in cook dinner instances. In France (the place Jennifer Pogmore my Pasty Chef trainer resides), it solely takes quarter-hour for the apples to change into tender. Mine take 40 minutes. So simply begin checking early! Notice: Apple doesn’t soften way more as soon as contained in the pie crust so get the feel proper throughout this step.
8. Leftover apple pie will preserve for as much as 4 days within the fridge although it’s at its prime within the first 24 hours after baking.
Lifetime of Dozer
That point he got here to a guide signing and he dribbled on one of many books……. 🙀🙀🙀