Traditional Apple Pie
Submitted by Neelie
Classic double-crust apple pie with cinnamon, nutmeg, and fresh lemon juice in a buttery pate brisee shell. Three pounds of Northern Spy or McIntosh apples baked golden and bubbling.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
45 minREADY
75 minThis is the apple pie your grandmother made. No fancy twists, no trendy additions. Just apples, butter, warm spices, and a flaky crust that shatters when you press your fork through it.
Three pounds of Northern Spy or McIntosh apples get tossed with cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, a squeeze of lemon, and just enough sugar to let the fruit shine without burying it.
The pate brisee dough wraps everything up in a tender, golden shell that’s sturdy enough to hold all those juicy apples together.
It starts in a hot oven for a crisp bottom crust, then finishes at a gentler temperature so the apples cook through without the top browning too fast.
Pro Tips
- Northern Spy apples hold their shape and have the right balance of tart and sweet. If you can’t find them, Granny Smiths mixed with a few Honeycrisps are a solid substitute
- Keep everything cold. Cold dough, cold butter, chilled shell. This is the secret to a flaky, not tough, crust
- Don’t forget the steam vents. Cut real slits, not little pokes. The steam needs a way out or your filling will be soggy
- A tablespoon of sugar sprinkled on top before baking gives you that sparkly, bakery-window finish
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450℉ (230℃).
Roll out half the dough ⅛ inch thick on a lightly floured surface, fit it into a 9-inch (1-quart) glass pie plate, and trim the edge, leaving a ¾ inch overhang.
Chill the shell and the remaining dough while making the filling.
In a large bowl toss together the apples, each peeled, cored, and cut into eighths, ¾ cup of the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and lemon juice until the mixture is combined well.
Transfer the filling to the shell, and dot it with the butter.
Roll out the remaining dough into a 13- to14-inch round on a lightly floured surface, drape it over the filling, and trim it, leaving a 1-inch overhang.
Fold the overhang under the bottom crust, pressing the edge to seal it, and crimp the edge decoratively.
Brush the crust lightly with the milk, cut slits in it with a sharp knife, forming steam vents, and sprinkle the pie evenly with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
Bake the pie on a large baking sheet in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes, reduce the temperature to 350℉ (180℃) F, and bake the pie for 20 to 25 minutes more, or until the crust is golden and the apples are tender.
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