In our house holiday desserts are never an afterthought. They are an event in and of itself. My oldest daughter likes to remind me that her stomach has a special division devoted exclusively to dessert. A girl after my own heart, because I know exactly how she feels.
So, with the holidays right around the corner, I am already thinking about pie. But not just any pie, a crave worthy pie. An apple pie that sings with flavor from its buttery sugared crust to its sweetly spiced apple filling. Because pie in my mind should be filled with thoughtful layers of flavor and texture.
As I set out to create a new recipe, I took time to consider all the details of my ideal apple pie. First, I knew I wanted to make it with honey crisp apples, because I love their juicy and zingy sweetness. Next, I wanted it to have a brown sugar apple filling that could stand up to the juiciness of the apples. Then I needed a crust that was flakey, flavorful and easy to work with. I also love pies that have a crispy sugared crust so I began experimenting with glazes. It was quite the kitchen adventure that took a few tries but, the end result was a pie that made me dance at first forkful.
Honey Crisp Apple Pie
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon all spice
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 8 cups honey crisp apples, peeled and sliced
Pie Crust (Makes 1 double crust plus extra for decorative cutouts)
- 18 tablespoons (2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons) salted butter, cold
- 6 tablespoons Crisco vegetable shortening, cold
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold water
Sugar Glaze
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Apple Pie Filling
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Prepare the apple pie filling. Peel the apples and cut into even slices.
In a deep sided skillet melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 tsp of salt and stir. Continue to cook and stir until the sugar fully melts. Then in a small bowl whisk together the corn starch and water. Pour the cornstarch slurry into the sugar mixture and whisk until fully incorporated. Now add the apple slices, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Lower the heat to medium low. Continue to cook and stir the apples for about 10 minutes. Then allow the apple filling to cool for a least 10 minutes while you prepare the pie crust.
Pie Crust
Next, make the piecrust. In a large food processor add 3 cups of flour, the salt and sugar. Cut the butter and shortening into small pieces that resemble coarse kosher salt. Place the butter in the processor and pulse until the butter is cut into small pieces. Then while the processor is running pour the water into the shoot and run it until the dough begins to form a ball.
Take a little over a third of the dough and shape it into a flat disc and using a rolling pin roll it out on a well floured surface. I like to use a silicone baking mat. Roll the crust out evenly and then trim the edges to create a 12 inch circle. Carefully roll one end of the circle over the rolling pin till it reaches the middle. Lift up on the dough and place it evenly over a 9 inch pie plate that had been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Then fold the side under and crimp.
Then dock or prick the bottom of the pie crust with a fork multiple times.
Now pour in the apple filling and make a lattice strips. Roll half of the remaining pie dough out into a 10 inch circle and cut into 1 inch strips. weave the strips on top of the pie and trim off any excess. Roll out the remaining dough and create decorative leaves using pie crust cutters. Decorate the edges with the leaves. Alternatively, if lattice work feels like too much just cover the top in decorative cutouts. I have done all leaves on top or stars for 4th of July. Have some fun and make it your own!
Sugar Glaze
Finally, make the sugar glaze. In a small skillet over medium heat melt 2 tablespoons of butter and stir in 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Stir and cook until the sugar melts.
Then take it off the heat and using a pastry brush, paint the crust with the sugar mixture.
Once the pie is ready to go in the oven, use a pie shield or create one with a long strip of aluminum foil folded in half. Wrap the foil around the edges to keep the more delicate edge from browning too quickly.
Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. Then lower the temperature to 350 and continue to bake for 45 to 50 more minutes removing the pie shield when there is just 15 minutes left in the bake. Check on your pie from time to time and rotate it if one side is a browning faster that the other. You will know that the pie is done when the crust in golden brown and the juices are bubbling slow and thick.
Allow the apple pie to cool for two hours before slicing so the filling sets and the pie keeps its shape when sliced.
Making a homemade pie is an event, but one gloriously sweet and crispy bite makes it instantly worth it.
