I’m making a single 9″ pie today, so half the crust recipe, the top will be a bacon weave with every other strip missing.
The apple filling will be 3/4 sliced, cooked apples, and the rest will be more of a canned apple pie filling.
Feel free to serve with aged/sharp cheddar, and a scoop of ice cream for what I now call “The All-American”
Hot water crust
Ingredients
- 200 ml warm water 1 cup
- 75 g unsalted butter 1/2 cup
- 75 g lard 1/2 cup
- 450 g all-purpose flour 3 cups
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
- Place the water, butter, and lard in a saucepan, heat gently until a low boil..
- Place flour and salt into a large bowl, and whisk in the egg and oil.
- Add the melted fat mixture, and stir together with a wooden spoon, or cut in with knives. Make sure to scrape the bowl while combining the dough.
- Gently knead for 1-2 minutes. You should end with a greasy dough that's smooth and shiny.
- Form a ball, cover with clingwrap, and chill for an hour.
- Save 1/3 for the top portion. Roll the big part to 13" diameter to make a 9" deep-dish pie, or 3 x 6.5" or 2 x 8" pies.
- Bake at 375F for around 25 minutes, or until the top of the pie is golden brown.
Notes
- The amounts in the notes are slightly more than the metric, but are approximately the same ratios for flour-water-fat mixture.
- Check the edges of the pie crust after 20 minutes. If they are significantly more brown than the middle, cover with a pie shield, or gently wrap some aluminum foil around the outer edge of the pie.
- Optional - add up to 1/4 cup sugar if you want a sweet crust.
- Optional - beat an egg and wash the top crust before baking.
Apple Pie Filling
Ingredients
- 4.5 lbs Mix of Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, and Golden Delicious. Approx 8 large applies Mix is ideal, 2 types is okay, but not mandatory.
- 1/2 cup sugar, divided into 1/4 cups
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Peel and core the apples and slice into 1/2-inch thick wedges. Toss apples with 1/4 cup of the sugar, place in a colander set over a large bowl, and drain for 1 1/2 hours.
- Transfer the drained liquid to a small saucepan, place over medium heat, and cook until it is reduced down to 2 tablespoons, then set aside to cool.
- Toss the apples with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tsp lemon juice, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.
Apple Pie Filling (canned version)
This is just like the canned stuff, only better.
Ingredients
Apples
- 4 cups Peeled, cored, diced apples (1/2" or 1 cm cubes)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup sugar
Sauce
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup apple juice
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- I like to toss the apple pieces in the lemon juice as I'm cutting the apples, just to prevent them turning brown.
- Mix the "apples" ingredients int a pot on medium-high heat, and gently stir for 15-20 minutes. The total cooking time will vary greatly depending how firm the apples are, and how soft you want the finished product.
- Meanwhile, in another saucepan, bring 1 cup of apple juice to a boil.
- Add the cinnamon and cornstarch, and whisk fully until incorporated.
- Add this mixture to the cooking apples 5 minutes into the cooking process.
- Gently stir, and let simmer until desired firmness is reached.
Notes
Oobleck - google it sometime.
It's always best to make a slurry of liquid + cornstarch before adding it to anything just to prevent clumps
It's always best to make a slurry of liquid + cornstarch before adding it to anything just to prevent clumps