Classic Apple Pie
If you’ve been following my blog posts thus far, you already know I’m a self-proclaimed pie snob. With that being said, this is my favorite apple pie recipe. My mom has been making variations of this recipe for as long as I can remember. Her original recipe card even names the pie “Kayla’s Apple Pie”. Tart granny smith apples combined with sugar and spices make for the perfect combination. This crust recipe also happens to be the same crust used in my Pumpkin Pie recipe. It’s the absolute best! Flaky, golden brown and downright delicious.
Now before we call it a day, let’s talk about the many ways to devour this pie…
Warm - Can you really beat warm apple pie with a big scoop of vanilla bean ice cream? I don’t think so.
Cold & Naked - I’m referring to the pie!!! I’ve devoured this pie straight from the refrigerator and it honestly needs nothing else!
Pie for Breakfast - This one is super close to my heart and happens to be one of my favorite memories of my dad. In the morning my dad would place a chilled piece of apple pie in a cereal bowl and cover the piece of pie with milk. He would then sprinkle the pie in the milk with a bit of nutmeg and sometimes even a bit of sugar. We would then break up the pie with a spoon and eat it like cereal. To date, this is still one of my most favorite ways to eat this pie! If you try this please, please, please leave me comments letting me know what you think! My husband is convinced it’s super strange.
ingredients - double pie crust:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 cups butter flavored crisco
5 tbs ice water
2 tsp white vinegar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp salt
*ground nutmeg & granulated sugar for sprinkling on the crust before baking
ingredients - apple pie filling:
8 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced thin
1 cup sugar
2 tbs cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
directions:
Preheat oven to 350°
To make the crust - in a large mixing bowl, use a pastry cutter to mix the flour with the crisco until well combined. Pieces will be about the size of a pea. If you don’t have a pastry cutter, a fork will work just fine.
In a separate bowl, combine ice water, vinegar, egg and salt. Pour the mixture over the flour and crisco mixture. Mix until combined (be sure to not overwork the dough - this will ensure your crust is flaky).
Split dough in half to create 2 separate balls. Cover each ball tightly with saran/plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes. *Note: this dough can be chilled overnight and rolled out the next day.
When ready to roll out your dough, start by lightly flouring your surface and rolling pin. I have also found that lightly flouring and rolling out the dough on parchment paper can make transferring the dough into the pie plate easier. It also helps with the clean up!
One at a time, begin rolling out your crusts on the floured surface. Add additional flour to your rolling pin if it begins to stick. The key to ensuring an even thickness/tear-free crust is taking your time and gently rolling the surface of the dough. Patience is key!!!
Roll the crust until it is large enough to fit your pie plate with some excess dough around the edges. I like to hold my pie plate upside down over the rolled out dough to ensure i’ve rolled it out thin enough to fit the plate.
When ready, gently fold the dough over your rolling pin and unroll over the pie plate. At this time I like to trim any excess crust from the edges of the pie plate. If not using pie crust cutters, you can now crimp your crust to your preference. If using pie crust cutters, roll out your second ball of dough and cut shapes out to arrange along the edge and top of your pie. I highly recommend dipping the cutters in flour before pressing them into the dough. This will ensure the dough doesn’t stick to the cutter.
To make the filling - In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.
Pour filling into unbaked pie crust. Depending on the size of your pie plate, you may have extra filling. Top the filling with the remaining pie crust or pie crust cutouts.
Lightly sprinkle the pie with sugar and nutmeg.
Place pie plate on a foil lined baking sheet and place in the oven for approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until a fork can be easily inserted through the apples in the center of the pie.
Recipe Notes:
In the directions above I highly suggest placing the pie plate on a foil lined baking sheet. Apple pies are known to bubble over and this can create a huge mess + set off fire alarms. Trust me on this one!
