My parents moved into their current home almost a decade ago and from the minute I first stepped out onto the deck and gasped "apple trees!" I've been dreaming up millions of ways to use all 'dem apples. And now, all these years later, I've finally put them to use. My parents, of course, have used the apples (and blackberries and plums) from their yard numerous times, but until last weekend, I hadn't even tasted one. I feel very guilty and embarrassed to admit this. I took them for granted and I'm sorry. I still don't even know what kind they are, but plan on looking into it. [Cough.]
So as the days are getting shorter and the air is slowly becoming crisper, I've had the urge to bake something still summery and seasonal, yet cozy and warm. So I made autumn in a dish: apple pie. I don't know why, but for some reason the process of making apple pie feels different from other pies. Maybe it's the picking, peeling, coring, and slicing steps that are so ceremonial and Zen to me. Or maybe it's because they are from my family's home. I just feel like a lot of love goes into an apple pie. The finished product looks, smells, and tastes like....ahhh. You know that scene from Sleeping With the Enemy where she's picking apples and putting them in her lifted skirt when the cute-drama-teacher-neighbor catches her? "I don't make deals." She dumps them on the ground but eventually he brings them to her house and she makes a pie and brings it to his for a pot roast dinner? Maaannn. Well, I salivate every time. This is my problem. Even movies about domestic abuse make me hungry.
Anyway, apple pie evokes utter coziness to me so I had to kick off the fall (we're officially still two weeks away) with a delicious double-crust monster pie. I was going to call this pie "Mile High Apple Pie" because the amount of apples I piled in there seriously went against the laws of physics, but I like simple. And besides, "Mile High" conjures an image of...well, Ralph Fiennes. Get what I'm saying? Annnddd, double-crust means extra goodness of the best part of the pie! None of that jive-talkin' lattice (or worse, single crust) foolishness when it's apple time!
The apples I picked were from two types of tree. One was large with big, light green apples and the other was small with these little, round, shiny reddish-green ones. The bigger apples were less juicy but not as tart as the tiny ones, so I decided I couldn't go wrong with a combination of flavors and textures. We picked so many that we had tons of leftovers, with which we filled bowls and arranged for display and snacking. The polished look of the small apples makes for beautiful presentation; my mother filled a large white ceramic bowl with similar apples and wrapped with cellophane as a birthday gift last year. It was so creative and quite stunning.
I don't think I've ever looked up a pie dough recipe because I've been using my mother's "foolproof" method since I started baking. The ratio of flour and butter (plus water) is basic and easy to remember. I also always remember two things: 1) never over-handle the dough and 2) cold cold cold. As in, use cold butter, cold water and also refrigerate or freeze the dough before forming and baking. You can use a food processor to mix your dough but I think cutting the butter into the flour is just as easy. I add water to consistency and test it by pinching or squeezing a small ball to see if it holds together.
Peeling, coring, and slicing the apples used to take ages until I found this nifty little beast. It peels and cores at the same time and makes people (not me, of course) squeal in delight the entire time. In a couple of seconds, it leaves an apple in a perfect curly-wurly spiral that is ready for a slice, mix and a throw. It's the greatest shortcut ever and it works on potatoes too. This one is from Williams-Sonoma but you can find them at various cooking stores and on Amazon.
It's best to be as quick as possible when forming the dough. Dough is a stubborn little thing and does not like to be handled. Some fast ball-forming followed by flattening in ziploc bags for refrigeration is key. A good 30 minutes in the refrigerator is enough but some suggest up to an hour or more.
A little lemon will prevent the apples from browning right away. I sliced the apples in fourths or halves but you can slice them smaller as you choose. Texture-wise, I think a good apple pie has big, chunky pieces and is not just applesauce with crust. Don't make me vom.
After chilling the dough, roll one ball out into about a 12-inch diameter circle to form the bottom crust. This particular pie was a lot of crust—I even trimmed some off around the edges. But again, the secret to a good pie is the crust. So I say the more the merrier.
Add lemon juice and zest, sugar, cinnamon, and a tiny handful of flour. The improvised flour is not in the recipe but it helps the consistency and is in many apple pie recipes, so I figure I'm forgiven. Piling the apple mixture into the pie shell is difficult when you're going for a behemoth of a pie like this. I'm not sure the photo does it justice but it took two sets of hands (thanks Mom) to get it stable, poked with nuggets of butter, and covered by the top crust. Since the apples will cook and reduce in size dramatically, I tried to fit as much as possible without causing a landslide (on the apples' part) and subsequent meltdown (on my part). It was like apple Jenga but luckily I'm really good at Jenga.
Look at that beaut! There is so much apple and crust going on here that it's overwhelming. I don't know how we managed to finesse that top crust on, I really don't. Ooh wee boy!
When there are about 15 minutes left of baking, I like to brush the crust with beaten egg whites for the golden, crispy look. And a sprinkle of sugar on top never hurt anybody.
I have a thing about apple pie—okay, maybe it's dessert in general. Warm dessert. I have to eat it with vanilla ice cream or iced milk. After I took this picture, I scooped a giant glob of ice cream on the side and gobbled it all down before the ice cream had time to melt. And some people say "eww" to ice in milk but don't knock it 'til you've tried it.
MOM'S BASIC PIE DOUGH
2 cups flour
1 cup butter or margarine
1/4-1/2 cup ice water (to consistency)
pinch of salt
DOUBLE-CRUST APPLE PIE
Adapted from The Martha Stewart Cookbook
1 recipe pie crust (used Mom's Basic Pie Dough)
9 or 10 tart apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into eighths
juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter, in small pieces
1. Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut butter into flour (or pulse in a food processor) until crumb-like. Add ice water, a couple tablespoons at a time, and mix to consistency. Dough should hold together when pinched. Divide into two balls, put in ziploc bags, and flatten a little. Refrigerate for half an hour or more.
2. Peel, core, and slice apples into halves or fourths. Toss with lemon juice and zest, sugar, and cinnamon.
3. Roll out one ball of dough into a 12-inch diameter circle. Fit into the bottom of 9-inch pie plate. Roll out the second ball into another circle for the top. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
4. Fill the pie shell with pie filling mixture. Mound the apples up high. Dot with butter. Cover with the pastry top, making vents, sealing and crimping rim. Place the pie in the oven and lower the temperature to 375 degrees F. Put foil under the pie to catch dripping. Bake 45 minutes, or until crust is brown and juices in the center of the pie are bubbling. Cool before serving.
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