Classic Apple Pie
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 mins
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
A basic apple pie is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser and if you can take the time to master the lattice top it’ll be a show-stopper as well.
Ingredients
Filling
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) apple cider
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
- 1/4 cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 pinches of salt
- 5 large cooking apples
- 3 tbl (45 ml) butter
Crust
- 2 1/2 c (300 g) flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbl (25 g) sugar
- 2 sticks of butter, cut into medium size cubes
Instructions
Crust
- With a food processor, pastry cutter or hands mix the flour, salt and sugar.
- Add butter and pulse or cut until a course meal texture in achieved with obvious butter flakes throughout.
- Add cold/iced water slowly until dough forms. Up to 1/4 cup of water generally.
- Turn out dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, form two disks and wrap individually. Allow to rest in refrigerator for at least one hour.
Pie
- mix the first set of ingredients in a bowl. Peeled, core and slice apples adding and tossing them into the mixture as you go.
- roll out the two pie dough disks.
- line a pie tin with the first of the rolled out dough.
- pour the apple mixture into prepared pie shell and dot with butter.
- cover with 2nd rolled out dough or use it to make a lattice or other decorative pie technique.
- allow to chill in the freezer for 1/2 hour.
- warm oven to 375 degrees.
- crack an egg, whisk and use to gently brush the top of pie then sprinkle a good and even amount of sugar atop.
- bake pie till golden brown on top, 40-60 minutes.
- allow to rest on a cooling rack for 1/2 hour before cutting into it.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 420
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the assembled pie go in the freezer for 30 minutes before baking?
Chilling the assembled pie in the freezer for half an hour before it goes into the 375°F oven firms the butter in the pastry back up after all the handling. This helps the crust hold its shape, prevents the butter from melting too fast, and produces a flakier, more distinct texture in the finished crust.
Why does the filling use apple cider alongside the apples?
The ½ cup of apple cider in the filling concentrates the apple flavor in the sauce base alongside the lemon juice and zest, giving the filling a deeper, more complex apple taste than the fruit alone would provide — especially important since the cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour are all mild in quantity.
How long should the pie rest before I cut into it?
The instructions say to allow the baked pie to rest on a cooling rack for at least half an hour before cutting. This gives the filling time to set so it doesn’t run when sliced. 
