Old Fashioned Apple Pie
Submitted by jenell
Old fashioned apple pie with a from-scratch butter crust made flaky with apple cider vinegar. Granny Smith apples get tossed in reduced cider, cinnamon, and nutmeg for deep, concentrated apple flavor.
YIELD
1 piePREP
1 hrsCOOK
1 hrsREADY
2 hrsWhat sets this apple pie apart from the rest is the crust. Apple cider vinegar in the dough keeps gluten development in check, giving you a tender, flaky pastry every single time. The acid reacts with the butter and flour to create those shaggy layers you want.
The filling doubles down on apple flavor with a smart trick: 3 cups of cider reduced to ½ cup, then tossed over the Granny Smiths along with cinnamon and nutmeg. That concentrated cider deepens the apple taste without adding extra liquid that would make the bottom crust soggy.
Mound the apples high in the center. They shrink significantly during baking, and a flat mound means a sad, collapsed top crust. Cut your slits generously so steam escapes and the filling thickens properly.
Chef Tips
- Chill the dough a full 30-45 minutes. Warm dough leads to a tough, shrinking crust.
- Start at a high temperature to set the crust, then drop the heat to cook the apples through without burning the top.
- If the top browns too fast, tent it loosely with foil. Don’t wrap it tight or you’ll trap steam and lose crispness.
- Let the pie cool at least 30 minutes before slicing so the filling sets up. Cutting too early gives you apple soup.
Variations
- Mixed apple: Use half Granny Smith and half Honeycrisp for a balance of tart and sweet.
- Cheddar crust: Add ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar to the dough. The old New England saying: “Apple pie without cheese is like a kiss without a squeeze."
- Salted caramel drizzle: Serve slices with warm salted caramel sauce instead of the traditional scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
In saucepan, bring cider to boil and reduce to about ½ cup.
Cool about 20 minutes.
Crust: mix together cider and water.
In processor, mix together flour and butter.
Pulse off and on until coarse crumbs form. With motor running, add water-cider mixture. Process just until dough leaves side of bowl. Gather dough into a ball. Divide in half. Flatten each into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill about 30 to 45 minutes. Filling: In bowl, mix together sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add apples to sugar mixture and toss to coat well. Sprinkle reduced apple cider over all and toss to coat well. On lightly floured surface, roll out half of dough to a 12 inch circle. Place in 9 inch pie plate. Spoon apple mixture into pie shell, mounding high in center. Roll remaining dough into 12 inch circle. Place over filling. Press edges together and roll up together to form an even rim. Flute decoratively. Brush top of pastry with water and sprinkle over all with 1½ tablespoons sugar. Cut slits in top of pie for steam to escape. Place pie on baking sheet and bake 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350℉ (180℃) F and continue to bake 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown and apples are bubbly. (if top crust begins to brown too quickly, cover loosely with a piece of foil) Cool on wire rack. Serve warm.
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