Homemade Apple Pie
When I was a little girl I was a cookie lover. Quite a few of my very first memories involve being in the kitchen with Dad to make oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookies and with Mom to make Halloween sugar cookies. Which is funny because I never really liked those sugar cookies. I remember Mom rolling out that soft, delicious dough (the dough was yummers, it was the baked cookie that lost its appeal to me) and me stamping out as many spooky shapes as I could. But those things are fading because as I get older I’m finding that I enjoy a slice of pie more and more. Especially this homemade apple pie.
One of my favorite pies seems to be the one that people have the most complaints about. In fact if you read about Cade’s apple pie you’ll learn that my mom HATED apple pie which is why I don’t have a recipe from her. But that seems to be common, a lot of people don’t like apple pie while others adore it. I’m an adorer. ADORER? Is that even a word?
But my apple pie MUST have a few things perfect. The crust. Don’t give me a pie with a totally soggy or blackened crust. Gag. I hate that. The crust is one of the best parts about pie so it had better be flaky and good. Then there’s the apples. I like them perfectly cooked so they aren’t terribly crunchy or pure applesauce with pie filling goo all over them.
And then my girlfriend, Sarah introduced me to her mom’s pie. It’s like a dreamland filled with unicorns, rainbows and flowers. Or at least that’s what my 6 year old self would have imagined to be magical. The crust is so easy and made with oil which gives it the perfect flakiness. The apples are golden delicious which I know, you’re used to being told to use a mix or straight granny’s, but I agree these give it the perfect sweetness.
Sarah is totally like this pie. Oh, oh yes I’m going there. Are you really very surprised that I’m comparing a person to food? She is though, she’s perfectly genuine and sweet and so easy to get along with. Sometimes I’m pretty darn sure that we were meant to cross paths as she has been such an amazing friend. One that you can get deep with or just laugh about silly things like chubby babies dancing. In fact, I think we must secretly be the same person because we live a pretty darn similar life. Which is fine by me. I would want to be like her since she has so much to teach about compassion, mothering, living up to who you are meant to be and so much more. We are praying so hard that their dream of adoption comes true and in the meantime I think I’ll eat a little more of her pie, a recipe I’ll keep forever and one day teach my children to make while reminiscing about this sweet dancer that became a dear friend. And if you haven’t already, head back to yesterday’s post where she gets brave and tells us about their struggle with infertility and why she needs your help.
How to Avoid a Soggy Pie Crust
The best ways to avoid a soggy pie crust are to blind bake with both a docking and weights method followed by an egg wash and further baking. Most people don’t blind bake a fruit pie, but I’ve been loving the results lately! The bottom crust stays flaky and crisp. It’s totally optional, so if you don’t have the time for the blind bake just proceed without that step.
- Use a glass pie plate which conducts heat the best out of all pie dishes. Next up? Ceramic is great as well.
- Chill the dough in the pie plate after forming it and before baking.
- Dock your crust by poking about 10 times on the crust bottom and sides with a fork.
- Place tinfoil or parchment in the crust and add weights equal to the lip of the pie or at least halfway up.
- If you’re really struggling with a less than flaky crust, pop a cookie sheet in the oven to preheat and place the pie plate on that. The bottom heat will help to keep the crust flaky.
- Start at 425 but if it’s browning too quickly be prepared to reduce the temperature to 375 after 5 to 10 minutes.
- Egg wash! After the initial bake of the crust, after pulling out the weights and before it goes back in the oven to finish, simply brush the base of the crust lightly with an egg wash (1 egg white and a little water or 1 egg yolk and about 2 teaspoons heavy cream whisked together. Yolks brown more fyi) and then return the pie to the oven just to set the egg, 1-2 minutes.
Can You Freeze Apple Pie Before Baking?
You can freeze apple pie before or after baking.
To freeze before baking, wrap tightly with foil or place in a heavy duty freezer bag and freeze.
Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How Do You Bake A Frozen Pie?
Place frozen pie on foil lined cookie sheet to catch any run over from juice.
Cook at 400 degrees for 30 minutes and then reduce heat to 350 degrees for approximately 35-45 minutes.
How Long Will Apple Pie Keep?
You can keep baked apple pies at room temperature for up to two days.
Apple pie can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Homemade Apple Pie
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Homemade Apple Pie
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 2 Cup Flour plus 4 Tablespoons
- 3/4 teaspoon Salt
- 2/3 Cup Oil
- 4 Tablespoons Water cold, as cold as you can get it
For the Pie
- 6-7 golden delicious apples peeled and sliced
- 1 Cup sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons butter cut in small cubes
Instructions
For the Crust
- Mix flour and salt.
- Stir flour mixture while pouring oil with a fork.
- Sprinkle water over dough (sometimes I have to add less than 2 Tablespoons--so I add just one at a time).
- Knead with hands until just incorporated. If mixture is to dry add a little more oil, but just barely.
- Separate into 2 discs and wrap tightly with saran wrap.
- Allow to rest in the fridge for 1 hour or up to 1 day.
- Allow to sit out for 5 minutes, then sprinkle the counter with flour and dust the top of the dough.
- Roll out one disc at a time pushing from the center out, turning a 1/4 turn after every roll until you've completed a smooth pie crust.
- Gently fold in half and then in half the other way and lay in a pie pan.
- Lift the edges and press down into the pan so you aren't stretching the dough.
- Prick the bottom and sides with a fork. Blind bake the bottom crust if desired. *see note
- Repeat with remaining dough and keep between 2 plastic sheets, and plastic over the pie dough in the pan and keep chilled while you start the apples.
For the Pie
- Preheat the oven to 425.
- Place the apples, sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl and toss to coat.
- Pour into the pie pan, top with butter and the 2nd pie dough sheet.
- Cut out vents or whatever design you want.
- Bake for 40 minutes checking and tenting the edges with foil after 20 minutes.
- Allow to rest for a few hours before slicing.
Notes
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