I’m not sure when it started, but somewhere in our nation’s history, the humble apple pie joined the ranks of the bald eagle and ballot box as American icons. So on today, the day after Election Day, what better topic to write about than a perfect apple pie?
Apples are, of course, the essential ingredients of apple pie. Theories abound as to what apples make the best pie, but as a general rule, a nice firm apple with a strong flavor is a good bet. For my apple pie, I like to mix a variety of apples of varying tart and sweetness: two Granny Smiths, three Honeycrisps and two Cortlands, for example, though the weight is more important than the number of each.
For a nice, full pie in a standard 9-inch pan, you’ll need about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds of apples. Plan to buy a little more than that, though, because it is better to have too many rather than too few — when you fill the pie, the mound should be a little more than double the volume of the pan.
Start by making the crust. This recipe was my grandmother’s, and it’s one of my favorites. First, measure a half cup of water and put it in the freezer to chill. Next, mix the following dry ingredients together with a fork:
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
Into that mixture, cut one cup vegetable shortening. Make a well in the middle of the dry mixture and add the ice cold water. Mix the dry ingredients with the water until you have an evenly mixed dough, then wrap the dough in plastic wrap and put it into the refrigerator to chill.
To prepare the apples, peel, core and cut them into 1/4-inch thick slices, then toss them with one tablespoon lemon juice.
Next, mix together the following dry ingredients:
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Toss the dry ingredients with the apples and set aside.
Take out a little less than half of the dough from the fridge and roll it into a circle on a well-floured surface. The dough should be a little more than 1/8-inch thick. To place the dough in the pie pan, fold the rolled dough into a semicircle, position the fold along the diameter of the pie pan and unfold the dough, gently pressing it into the corners. Add the apples to the piecrust.
Roll out the remaining dough the same way you rolled out the bottom half and place it on top of the pie. Cut off any excess dough to about 1/4-inch from the edge of the pie pan — the extra can be sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and baked for a yummy snack. With your fingers, seal the seams of the piecrust, rolling the bottom half over onto the top half and pressing with your thumbs and pointer fingers. Finally, cut vents in the top of the dough in the design of your choice — a patriotic star, perhaps?
When it comes to baking the pie, I’ve found the method outlined by America’s Test Kitchen to be the most successful. Start with the oven rack at the lowest position, place a rimmed baking sheet on it and preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
Before placing the pie in the oven, brush it with a lightly beaten egg white and sprinkle it with a little sugar. Place it on the baking sheet and lower the oven temperature to 425 degrees. Bake for 25 minutes, then rotate the pie, lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake for another 35 minutes or so until the crust is golden and the apples give easily to the point of a knife. When in doubt about whether the pie is done, err on the side of slightly undercooked apples rather than an overcooked crust.
Allowing the pie to cool to room temperature will help the apple juice to gel, giving you a firmer pie. I, however, would much rather have a hot, fresh piece of pie, even if it is a little runny, so I tend to cut into mine just as soon as it’s cool enough that I won’t burn my mouth. How you eat your pie is up to you.
Sarah’s column runs biweekly Wednesdays. She can be reached at s.brummett@cavalierdaily.com.
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