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Apple Pie

Servings 1 pie

Equipment

  • Pastry cloth
  • 9-inch Pyrex pie pan
  • 2 large mixing bowls
  • Colander
  • Pizza stone
  • Pastry brush
  • 12-inch pizza pan or similar

Ingredients

  • 1 recipe Pie Crust for Two-Crust Pie
  • 1 egg, separated
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • 6 firm tart apples (Haralson, Braeburn, Honey Crisp, Sweet Tango, or similar)
  • ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon fine salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted cultured butter
  • 4 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon cream, ½ & ½, or milk

Instructions

Prepare bottom crust

  • Mix together egg white and ½ teaspoon water.
  • On pastry cloth, roll larger piece of dough until approx. 12 inches in diameter.
  • Place rolled dough in pie pan.
  • Brush dough in pan with egg white and water mixture.
  • Place dough in refrigerator.

Prepare filling – part one

  • Place lemon zest, lemon juice, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in large mixing bowl and mix well.
  • One apple at a time, peel each apple, cut it in half, remove core (I use a melon baller), and cut off stem and remaining skin.
  • Place each apple half cut side down on cutting board. Cut in half, then cut halves into slices 3/8 inch thick.
  • Add slices to bowl with lemon zest and juice and stir to coat. (This helps prevent the apple slices from turning brown.)
  • Allow apples to macerate at room temperature for between 30 minutes and 3 hours.

Prepare filling – part two

  • Transfer apples and their juices to colander suspended over large mixing bowl to capture juices. The mixture should release at least ⅓ cup of liquid.
  • Place liquid and butter in small sauce pan.
  • Boil liquid, swirling but not stirring, until syrupy and lightly caramelized.
  • Meanwhile, transfer apples to second large mixing bowl.
  • Toss apples with cornstarch until all traces of cornstarch have disappeared.
  • Pour syrup over apples, tossing gently. (If syrup hardens on contact with apples, it will dissolve during baking.)

Prepare top crust

  • Roll out second piece of dough into 12-inch circle.

Assemble pie

  • If using pizza stone, place in oven on middle or lower rack.
  • Preheat over to 425° F.
  • Transfer apple mixture to pie shell.
  • Place top crust over pie.
  • Trim, if necessary, so there is an overhang of approx. 1 inch.
  • Fold overhang under.
  • Press top and bottom crusts together with thumb, leaving closely spaced thumbprints around entire circumference of pie.
  • Mix together egg yolk and 1 tablespoon cream, ½ & ½, or milk.
  • Brush mixture over entire top crust.
  • Cut ventilation slits in top crust.

Bake pie

  • Place pie on 12-inch pizza pan or similar, to catch drips.
  • Place pie and pan in oven, on pizza stone.
  • After approx. ½ hour, cover loosely with aluminum foil to prevent crust from burning.
  • Bake for approx. 1 hour, until juices inside are thick.
  • Cool on rack at least 4 hours before cutting.

Notes

Adapted from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s The Pie & Pastry Bible.