I am finally sharing my favorite and many times tested recipe for apple pie. This one is so good and flavorful that you will not be able to keep your forks away from it until it’s done and gone.
Shredded apples is what I always use when making an apple pie. Not that I don’t like the type of pie with slices of apples, it actually tastes the same, but the secret to shredded apples is that they create good and strong texture of the pie, so when you cut it into slices, slices will not fall apart, but just the opposite – you will end up with nice, smooth and perfectly shaped slices of apple pie. Enjoy!
For the sweet pie pastry (20 sm. round pie dish):
200 grams (7 oz) all purpose flour
100 grams (3,5 oz) soft butter
50 grams (1,8 oz) powder sugar
1 egg
1-3 table spoons milk to form the dough
Ingredients for the filling:
750 grams (26 oz) shredded apples
1 table spoon cinnamon
1 tea spoon ground cloves
1/2 te spoon nutmeg
3 table spoon brown sugar
1 table spoon lemon juice
2 table spoons honey
2 table spoons all-purpose flour
2 eggs
For the apple sauce:
The sauce from the apples
2 table spoon butter
1 table spoon corn starch
To make the dough:
Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the soften butter (chopped into small pieces) and start mixing with your fingers (or pulse briefly in a food processor if you prefer) until coarse crumbs form (butter pieces should be about the size of a pea). Add the egg yolk and quickly knead until the dough comes together. If dough is too dry and doesn’t come together add one or two table spoons of water or milk, one by one, until dough is wet enough to form a ball, but not too sticky. Do NOT overwork the dough, just pulse a few times and then shape it using your hands. Shape dough into a disk, cover in plastic wrap and put in the fridge to firm up, about 30 minutes.
To make the apple pie filling:
In a large bowl combine shredded apples, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, sugar, lemon juice and honey. Mix well with a rubber spatula until all ingredients combine. Pour the apple mixture onto a pasta strainer and set over a large bowl (use the same bowl where you mixed the shredded apples). Let juices from the apples strain into the bowl for about 40 minutes (or more if you have time) as you stir occasionally. Strain juices again into a small saucepan and set aside.
For the apple sauce:
The sauce from the apples
2 table spoon butter
1 table spoon corn starch
To make the dough:
Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the soften butter (chopped into small pieces) and start mixing with your fingers (or pulse briefly in a food processor if you prefer) until coarse crumbs form (butter pieces should be about the size of a pea). Add the egg yolk and quickly knead until the dough comes together. If dough is too dry and doesn’t come together add one or two table spoons of water or milk, one by one, until dough is wet enough to form a ball, but not too sticky. Do NOT overwork the dough, just pulse a few times and then shape it using your hands. Shape dough into a disk, cover in plastic wrap and put in the fridge to firm up, about 30 minutes.
To make the apple pie filling:
In a large bowl combine shredded apples, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, sugar, lemon juice and honey. Mix well with a rubber spatula until all ingredients combine. Pour the apple mixture onto a pasta strainer and set over a large bowl (use the same bowl where you mixed the shredded apples). Let juices from the apples strain into the bowl for about 40 minutes (or more if you have time) as you stir occasionally. Strain juices again into a small saucepan and set aside.
Transfer the apple mixture back into the bowl, add the flour then the eggs and mix well to combine.
Assemble the pie:
Preheat your oven to 180 C fan-forced (350F, fan-forced).
After the dough has chilled, remove 2/3rd part of the dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll the the pastry dough into a circle. Roll the pastry into a larger circle than the bottom of your baking dish, enough to cover the sides of the dish. Transfer to your pie pan. Trim the excess pastry, but leave 2 inch border which will overlap the top of the pie. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the pastry for 15 minutes to firm up again.
Meanwhile, remove the second round of pastry dough (1/3rd) and roll into a circle over a floured wooden board. Now, you could cover the whole pie with a piece of he dough or you can cut different shapes put of the dough, using cookie cutters. I used a cookie cutter in the shape of a star and arrange the stars around the edge of the pie and let the center plain, no dough.
Once the dough has chilled again, pour apple filling to your dough-lined dish. Arrange the pastry shapes on top of the filling. Trim any excess dough that there might be. Fold the bottom dough border up and over the ends of the top pastry shapes.
Bake in your preheated oven for 40 minutes.
Set aside to cool off completely before slicing it.
Preheat your oven to 180 C fan-forced (350F, fan-forced).
After the dough has chilled, remove 2/3rd part of the dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll the the pastry dough into a circle. Roll the pastry into a larger circle than the bottom of your baking dish, enough to cover the sides of the dish. Transfer to your pie pan. Trim the excess pastry, but leave 2 inch border which will overlap the top of the pie. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the pastry for 15 minutes to firm up again.
Meanwhile, remove the second round of pastry dough (1/3rd) and roll into a circle over a floured wooden board. Now, you could cover the whole pie with a piece of he dough or you can cut different shapes put of the dough, using cookie cutters. I used a cookie cutter in the shape of a star and arrange the stars around the edge of the pie and let the center plain, no dough.
Once the dough has chilled again, pour apple filling to your dough-lined dish. Arrange the pastry shapes on top of the filling. Trim any excess dough that there might be. Fold the bottom dough border up and over the ends of the top pastry shapes.
Bake in your preheated oven for 40 minutes.
Set aside to cool off completely before slicing it.
Sift some powder sugar on top of the pie if you prefer.
While pie is in the oven prepare the apple sauce: Heat the sauce from the apples and the butter in a small saucepan on medium. Let butter melts. Spoon out just a bit of the hot apple-butter sauce in a small bowl. Add the cornstarch and mix to combine – the mixture will look like a thin paste, no lumps should be visible. Pour the starch-apple mixture to the rest of the apple sauce in the saucepan and start whisking it until sauce thickens (about 5-6 minutes). Remove from stove and set aside to cool off. Keep in mind that the sauce will thicken additionally once it cools off, so make sure to remove it from the stove while it is still on the medium thickness.
Serve apple pie with a spoonful of the apple sauce, ice-cream or other topping of your choice.
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