Mom's Homemade Apple Pie

The signature touch on this apple pie is what happens after it comes out of the oven. While the crust is still hot, a vanilla-confectioners-sugar glaze gets brushed across the top and drips down through the slits. It hardens into a thin, crackling glaze as the pie cools, almost like a frosted danish but pie-shaped.

McIntosh apples are the right choice here, even though most pie recipes warn against them. They break down into a saucy, almost applesauce-like filling that pairs beautifully with the smooth glaze on top. Six large McIntosh plus the warm spice blend of cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg give this pie a deeper holiday-spiced character than ordinary cinnamon-only pies.

The crust is an oil-and-milk dough rolled between sheets of wax paper. It’s flakier and more delicate than butter pie crust but tougher to handle without the wax paper trick.

Bake hot first, then reduce. The high initial heat sets the bottom crust crisp; a longer second stretch at lower heat finishes the apples and lets the top brown without burning. Stand a baking sheet underneath; this pie runs over.

Pro Tips

• Use a light hand cutting through the apples in the bowl. The recipe wants slices that look chopped, not pureed; this gives the filling more texture variation.
• Place a foil-lined baking sheet directly under the pie. McIntosh apples release a lot of juice and the pie will bubble over.
• Apply the glaze while the pie is still hot. Cold pie won’t accept the glaze the same way; the warmth helps it run into the slits.
• Cool completely before slicing. The glaze needs time to set into a thin crackly layer and the filling needs to firm up.

Variations

• Stir 1 cup of pear chunks in alongside the apples for a softer, more aromatic filling.
• Add ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans to the filling for crunch.
• Swap the vanilla glaze for a maple-flavored one (use maple syrup instead of vanilla) for a fall flavor.