The most classic dessert there ever was! This apple pie recipe has a flaky crust and sweet gooey centre. It’s a recipe to master for sure. Apple pie (or any pie) can be a little tricky to get right. But once you get it, it becomes so easy. So here are some tips to help along the way:
For the crust:
- Make sure the butter is very cold.
- When adding the ice water to form the dough, do it as quickly as possible! You don’t want the butter to melt and the dough to become overly sticky.
For the apples:
- Some of the best apples to use are: golden delicious (my fav), granny smith, fuji, honey crisp
- Do not use: red delicious
Finally, after the pie is baked, it’s very important to let it cool before cutting into it! This allows the juices to thicken so that you are not left with a watery centre.
Classic Apple Pie
Ingredients
Crust:
- 380 g flour
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 280 g butter cubed and cold
- 6 tbsp ice water
Filling:
- 6-7 large apples
- 50 g sugar white, brown, or a mix
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
Egg Wash:
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
For the crust (note – steps 1-3 can be done using a food processor):
- In a large bowl mix the flour, sugar and salt.
- Add the cold cubes of butter. Press the butter into the flour with your fingertips until you have pieces of butter that are pea-sized and the mixture resembles wet sand. You can also cut the butter into the flour using a pastry cutter or a fork.
- Add the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time. Lightly toss the dough to incorporate the water. After adding 6 tablespoons of water, the dough should be in larger clumps.
- Transfer about half the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. Press the dough together well and form into a disk. Wrap tightly with the plastic wrap.
- Repeat with the other half of the dough and place both disks in the fridge to cool for an hour.
For the filling and pie assembly:
- Peel, core and slice the apples. Place them in a bowl with sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and cornstarch. Stir to combine. Let sit until ready to fill the pie dish.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- On a floured work surface, roll out the first disk to about ¼ inch thick. You may need to let it sit out at room temperature for a couple minutes to be able to roll it.
- Place the dough into a 9 inch pie dish and press the edges into the edges of the dish. There should be some dough hanging over the edges.
- Fill the crust with the apples, ensuring the apples fill all the way up to the rim of the dish, even forming a mound.
- Roll the second disk to the same thickness. Cut into strips. Create a lattice over the apples and use the overhanging dough to seal the edges.
- In a small bowl, beat the egg and water for the egg wash. Brush evenly over the lattice strips.
- Bake for about an hour total, until the crust is golden brown. After about 20 minutes in the oven, it may be necessary to cover the top with a piece of foil to prevent it from burning.
- Let cool for at least 1 hour.