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.
Honeycrisp Apple Pie
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons water
- 8 cups honey crisp apples, peeled and sliced
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon all spice
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Pie Crust (Makes 1 double crust plus extra for decorative cutouts)
- 3 cups flour
- 1 and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons cold salted butter
- 6 tablespoons cold Crisco shortening
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold water
Sugar Glaze
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Pie Crust
In a large food processor add 3 cups of flour, the salt and sugar. Cut the butter and shortening into small pieces. Place the butter and shortening in the processor and pulse until the butter mixture looks like course breadcrumbs. 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. 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. Prepare a 9-inch metal pie plate by lightly spraying it with cooking spray. Transfer the crust by rolling it part way on the rolling pin. Place the dough evenly over the pie plate. Then fold the sides under and crimp the edges of the pie crust.
In a small bowl mix together 1 teaspoon of flour and 1 teaspoon of sugar to create a crust dust. Sprinkle the crust dust on the bottom of the pie to protect the crust from getting too much moisture from the filling.
Next make the lattice strips. Roll half of the remaining pie dough out into a 10-inch circle and cut it lengthwise into 1-inch-wide strips. Use the remaining dough to roll out and create decorative leaves using pie crust cutters. 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!
Place the pie crust, lattice strips and the leaves in the fridge to chill while making the filling.
Apple Pie Filling
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Then prepare the pie filling. Peel, core and cut the apples into even slices.
In a deep sided skillet melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add ½ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar and ¼ tsp of salt and stir. Continue cook and stir the sugar mixture 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. Add the apples, lemon juice, cinnamon and allspice. Lower the heat to medium low. Continue to cook and stir the apples for 10 minutes. Then allow the apple filling to cool for at least 10 minutes before filling the pie crust.
To assemble the pie, spoon the filling into the chilled pie crust base and weave the lattice strips on top and trim off any excess. Decorate the edges of the pie with the pie crust leaves. Then make the sugar glaze.
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 the glaze off the heat and using a pastry brush, paint the top of 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 pie plate edges and fold it inward to keep the more delicate leaves from browning too quickly.
Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. Then lower the temperature to 350 and continue to bake for an additional 45 to 50 minutes. Remove the pie shield when there are 15 minutes left in the bake. You will know that the pie is done when the crust is 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.
