How to Make a Perfect Apple Pie |
There is some extra effort involved, but
when you're not in a rush, the aroma of apple spices and ginger wafting
throughout the house is well worth your time.
PASTRY:
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour scant tsp salt
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 1 Tablespoon lard
- 4 Tablespoons Crisco shortening large pinch Rumford Baking Powder 1 Tablespoon buttermilk powder OR:
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar ADDED TO:
- 5-7 Tablespoons of ice water
- one stick plus 1/3 stick butter, frozen in advance
FILLING:
- 10 Apples, peeled and sliced thinly
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- sprinkle of mace (optional)
- sprinkle of vanilla
- lemon juice
- Flour, cornstarch, or arrowroot for thickening
Preheat the oven to 400°F, then reduces it to
375°F after the pie is in the oven.
Combine dry ingredients. Mix together
Crisco and lard in a metal bowl. Sprinkle with flour mixture. Chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Remove butter from the freezer and slice it into 1/2-inch
chunks. Add to bowl. Work butter and shortenings together into flour with
fingers or a pastry blender, leaving large chunks, the size of walnuts. The
purpose is to coat the butter particles with flour, but not to allow the butter
or shortenings to melt. Do not overwork the mixture.
Add the lemon juice or vinegar to ice
water and stir quickly into the dry ingredients. Mix briefly, less than 45 seconds, and leave large unincorporated pockets of butter and shortening. If the mixture is
beginning to melt, refrigerate briefly.
Gather mixture together into a flat disc,
approximately 1 inch thick, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least
1/2 hour or up to 2 days. Freeze if you want to reserve longer than 2 days. A
half-hour rest is necessary so that the dough will become easier to roll out.
The buttermilk powder and/or lemon juice also help relax the dough and prevent
gluten, which can make for a tough crust.
NOTE:
For a flakier pie crust, reserve 1/3 stick of butter, and slice lengthwise, 1/8 inch thick. Place strips of butter onto the dough and then fold them into thirds before refrigerating for a half-hour resting period.
How to Make a Perfect Apple Pie |
Mix the nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon with
the sugar. Sprinkle the sugar with a few drops of pure vanilla extract. Work
the butter and 2 Tablespoons flour or another thickener into the sugar. Slice the
apples into thin wedges and place apples into pre-rolled out and fitted pie
crust, packing apples in tightly, since they will cook down significantly.
Mound apples are higher in the center. Sprinkle the juice of 1/2 lemon over the apples,
then sprinkle the sugar-spice mixture over the apples evenly.
How to Make a Perfect Apple Pie |
Brush the top of the crust with a mixture of one
egg white and one tablespoon of water or with a little cream. Sprinkle with 1
teaspoon of sugar.
Variation: One method of making a nice
base for your apple pie is to peel a portion of the apples, placing the skins,
cores, lemon peels, cinnamon sticks, and freshly grated ginger, into a saucepan
with the sugar and half a cup of water or apple juice. Simmer over low heat for about
an hour and strain, reserving the liquid. Thick 1/2 cup of the strained
liquid with 1-2 tsp cornstarch or arrowroot and cool. Add 1/4 tsp vanilla, then
slice and peel apples, and pour into the pie shell. This is a nice variation
when you don't have Cortland apples to mix in with the Granny Smiths because it
keeps the pie from being too dry. The liquid is enough for one 10-inch pie
about 4 inches tall at the center. Adjust according to your pie size.
Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the crust
is golden brown.
I've found that freshly grated ginger much
improves the flavor over the ground type in this recipe.
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