The Pie Thread especially Apple

[tuppence]

I need to make a Apple Pie on Wednesday
I think I need to ask an American.
Any one got a fool proof recipe please.
I would also like to shove a little pie vent in the middle but I don't know if they are suitable for this particular pie.

 

[Caity Lynn]

Apple Pies are incredibly simply to make. It's just Apples, sugar and cinnamon. Any recipe should do!

 

[Carlisle Blues]

Old Fashioned Apple Pie Recipe

Ingredients

Crust Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
1/2 cup finely ground blanched almonds or almond flour (can substitute 1/2 cup flour if you don't have almonds)
16 Tbsp (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, chilled in freezer for at least 15 minutes
1 teaspoon salt
1 heaping teaspoon brown sugar
3 to 6 Tbsp water, very cold

Filling Ingredients
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 pounds of 1/4-1/2 inch thick slices of peeled and cored good cooking apples such as Granny Smith, Pippin, Golden Delicious (see cooking apple varieties)
1 1/2 tablespoons brandy
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Egg Wash
1 large egg yolk
1 Tbsp cream
Method

1 In a food processor, combine flour, almonds, salt and brown sugar, pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse 6 to 8 times, until mixture resembles coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add water 1 Tablespoon at a time, pulsing until mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it's ready, if not, add a little more water and pulse again.

Remove dough from machine and place on a clean surface. Carefully shape into 2 discs. Do not over-knead the dough! You should still be able to see little bits of butter in the dough. These bits of butter are what will allow the result crust to be flaky. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

2 Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 375°F.

3 Combine sugar, flour and spices in large bowl. Use your hands and mix in the apples so they are well coated, then add brandy and vanilla extract.

4 Remove one crust disk from the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle some flour on top of the disk. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12 inch circle; about 1/8 of an inch thick. As you roll out the dough, use a metal spatula to check if the dough is sticking to the surface below. Add a few sprinkles of flour if necessary to keep the dough from sticking. Gently fold in half. Place on to a 9-inch pie plate, lining up the fold with the center of the pan. Gently unfold and press down to line the pie dish with the dough.

5 Spoon in apple filling, mounding slightly in center.

apple-pie-1.jpg apple-pie-2.jpg

6 Roll out second disk of dough, as before. Gently turn over onto the top of the apples in the pie. Pinch top and bottom of dough rounds firmly together. Trim excess dough with kitchen shears, leaving a 3/4 inch overhang. Fold dough under itself so that the edge of the fold is flush with the edge of the pan. Flute edges using thumb and forefinger or press with a fork.

7 Stir yolk and cream in small bowl to blend. Brush over top of pie. Cut slits in top crust to allow steam to escape. Bake pie until crust begins to turn golden, about 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F. Tent the rims with aluminum foil or a pie protector if the edges are browning too quickly. Bake until crust is golden and juices are bubbling, anywhere from an additional 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the type of apples you are using. Transfer to rack; let stand 1 hour. Serve pie warm or at room temperature.

Serves 8.


http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/002155old_fashioned_apple_pie.php

 

[BinkieBaumont]

I do a a variation "Strudel" I just spread a filling of Apple,Rhubarb, mixed peel ,Apricot brandy, spread on to puff pastry, roll up and bake for 20 mins, served with king Island cream, you can make one big one or individual servings

 

[tuppence]

Thanks Carlisle thats the one I wanted
I do that too Binkie but with filo.

 

[dhermann1]

A few points: Unless you're really adept with pastry, use a ready made crust. I assume you will. One of the great debates about apple pie is how tart it should be, and how crisp. While only experience and personal taste can determine this, the apple pie purist tends to like them slightly crisper and tarter.
Finally, my mother always told this story of her first attempt to make an apple pie for my father, whose mother was a brilliant cook.
He took one bite, looked up at her and with a withering voice of disapproval said "No raisins!" Apple pie with raisins in the filling is mighty good.
Serve it with a big slice of very sharp cheddar cheese. The cheese (again to a purist) is more necessary even than vanilla ice cream. Oh, plus a good cup of coffee.
Good luck!
A note on crust: If you do decide to make your own crust, keep in mind that it should remain as cold as possible. Many people leave the ingredients in the fridge until the last moment. The more you hande pie crust dough, the more it turns to leather, or linoleum. I have made pie crusts that were more suitable for paving material. It's not easy. If you're brave enough to use the crust recipe above, I suggest you use ice water.

 

[clubwitsend]

I second the suggestion of ready-made crust, unless its necessary for you to make your own for some reason....makes the entire process MUCH easier and less room for error!

And that looks like a good mix of apples in that recipe! Mixing 2-3 types of apples is best! I would also throw out there that Cortlands and Macouns are great to throw in with Granny Smiths!

 

[Foofoogal]

fftopic: Funny side story on store bought crust.

I have a family member that prides themselves on homemade crust. One Christmas as she was so busy she used a store crust to make chocolate pies. When we all sat down to eat the pies we died laughing. She had cook them and then filled them without ever taking out the little paper that covers the crust in the freezer. We kid her till today. So funny. lol

 

[JennyLou]

I made a fig pie once using the figs that grow in my yard and a recipie from a magazine on the victorian Era. It was the worst pie I every had, but then I'm not a big fan of cooked fig. I have a bag of red apples that need to be eaten before they go bad. I might make a pie or apple dumplings.

 

[Dexter'sDame]

Using some tart apples is important because...

Posting incase anyone new reads an old post for help...

Whatever combination of apples you choose in your recipe, using some tart cooking apples (Granny Smiths, for example) is important, because the pectin in the tart appples helps to set / thicken the filling a bit. The more tart the apple is, the more pectin.

Also, it helps to know if the variety of apples you're using are "cooking"/"baking" or "eating"/"table" apples. "Eating" apples, as my Southern grandmother called them, are tasty in flavor, but many of them, like Golden Delicious, tend to disentigrate to mush when cooked. (That said, Golden Delicious apples make fantastic applesauce!) At this time of year, charts describing apple varieties and their best uses are easy to find in cooking magazines, and of course on the Internet.

For a beginner, definitely use Pillsbury refriged pie crust, but brush the top crust of the ready-for- the-oven pie with cream, milk, or egg wash as directed in most recipes. Although I can make good pie crust, in a hurry I've used this trick for many a Thanksgiving dinner with excellent results.

 

[Cigarband]

A note on crust: If you do decide to make your own crust, keep in mind that it should remain as cold as possible. Many people leave the ingredients in the fridge until the last moment. The more you hande pie crust dough, the more it turns to leather, or linoleum. I have made pie crusts that were more suitable for paving material. It's not easy. If you're brave enough to use the crust recipe above, I suggest you use ice water.

If you use Lard instead of butter, it doesn't matter what the temperature is. How do you think all those wonderful pies were made BEFORE refrigeration.
And contrary to popular wisdom, Lard makes a much lighter and flakeyer crust.

 

[Ethan Bentley]

I had a lovely piece of apple pie today with some thick cream.

 

[MsStabby]

My ex-bf made the BEST apple pie (he was an apple grower). He made his filling the night before and let it marinate, then made the pie the next day. Also, he combined fruits, so we had apple-raisin, apple-peach, apple-blueberry, apple-rhubarb, apple-whatever Stabby wanted.

Mmmmmm...pie....

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Try it with a handful of craisins in it. I've got an old recipe I trot out every fall that the mix of craisins and a little brandy work perfectly in. I haven't made any in a few years - had too many friends asking me to make them pies for Thanksgiving and Christmas parties. There's a fine line between having fun making presents for friends and drudgery, isn't there?

 

[MsStabby]

There's a fine line between having fun making presents for friends and drudgery, isn't there?

Especially if you forget to make one for yourself!

 

[kamikat]

We're having guests over for dinner this weekend and I'll be making an apple pie. I use a store-bought/store-brand frozen crust because it's the best vegan crust I've found, better than my own. I am also not using a double crust. I have a recipe that uses a gingerbread-like dough for a crumble top. There is also molasses and lots of ginger in the apple filling itself.