There is nothing more classic than Thanksgiving, football and of course apple pie. I’ve featured this and this version before but the classic all-american apple pie is the one staple that makes a grand statement at our Thanksgiving every year. Of all the sweets I conjure up in the kitchen, I look forward to nothing more than a slice of this simplistic heaven. I also find nothing more therapeutic than getting my hands into cold butter and flour, taking extra care to blend the dough to the right point, and topping a mound of crisp apples slaughtered in cinnamon and its own juices with carefully placed leaves. That’s it nothing to it, but to let it bake and bubble away. Pies are perfect for the holiday season, because you can make and roll out your dough into pie shells and freeze them until ready to use. The same goes for the top too; these leaves I cut out and scored with a pairing knife the night before and simply thawed out while I prepared the filling. Plus this pie tastes even better the next day. With holiday shopping, parties, and everything that makes the holiday season so hectic, this is an instant time saver giving you more time to actually enjoy the season.
Classic Apple Pie
Ingredients {Makes One 9″ Deep Dish Pie}
1/2 cup – All-purpose flour {plus extra for rolling out dough}
5 1/2 pounds – Granny Smith Apples
Juice of 2 lemons
1 cup – Granulated Sugar {extra for sprinkling}
2 teaspoons – Ground Cinnamon
3 tablespoons – Unsalted Butter {chilled and cut into small pieces}
1 large – Egg Yolk
Recipe {Adapted from Martha Stewart}
Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out half of your pate brisee about 1/8″ thickness. Brush off excess flour, and place over a deep-dish 9-inch pie plate. Line plate with dough, pressing it into the corners. Trim dough 1″ from the edge of your pie plate, cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate for 30 minutes or freeze overnight.
Roll out the remaining piece of dough to 1/8″ thickness, and cut into shapes {if not using shapes, roll out dough to an 18″ round, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate}
Peel, core, and cut apples into 1/4″ thick slices. Place apples in a large bowl, and dress with lemon juice. Combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl and toss with apples, and let stand for 30 minutes after adding all ingredients to let the juices settle.
Remove dough top from refrigerator, and place apples into pie shell, creating a tall mound. Dot with butter, and carefully place dough leaves over the apples, starting from the edge working your way towards the center.
Whisk the egg yolk with 2 tablespoons water, brush surface with glaze and sprinkle with sugar {make sure you aren’t glazing too much and leaving behind pools of egg wash}. Place atop a baking sheet, and bake until crust is golden {about 30 minutes}. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling {about 45 to 50 minutes}. Remove from oven, and let cool completely before serving.
