This apple pie uses an unusual technique for the apple filling. You make a butter/sugar sauce on the stovetop and mix it in with sliced applies. The resulting pie is nothing short of fantastic.
With the holidays upon us, I start to relive my memories. I think about the time I spent as a child and also reminisce about our more recent gatherings. This time of year makes me relish some of our family traditions.
For example, my family always ordered a smoked turkey for Thanksgiving. Along with it, we’d have several Chinese dishes, baked yams (yuck!) and the typical mashed potatoes and gravy. One of my family’s newest traditions is to go apple picking in the fall. The three of us drive to the orchard, enjoy some apple cider and apple cider donuts, and leave with about 10 pounds of Fuji apples.
This year was no different. With the pandemic still around, we had to reserve time for our apple picking adventure and adhere to some slightly different guidelines at the orchard. But, we still managed to have a grand time and came home happy with our apples.
And each and every year, I make an apple pie with those apples. This year, I had one Asian pear in the fridge so I threw it in for good fun. In addition, I found this recipe that utilizes a butter/sugar sauce for the filling, which I found super interesting.
This apple pie was definitely one to remember. I liked it so much, in fact, that I might make it a new family tradition. What family traditions do you have around the holidays?
Husband’s rating: 5 out of 5
Addie’s rating: 4.5 out of 5
My rating: 5 out of 5
Ultimate apple pie
Ingredients
Double crust (enough for the crust and lattice top)
- 2 and ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ Tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter cold and sliced
- 7 Tablespoons ice water
Filling
- 2 and ¼ pounds (about 6-7 medium sized) apples peeled, cored and sliced (I used Fuji)
- 1 and ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 egg for egg wash
Instructions
Prepare the crust
- In a food processor or in a large bowl if mixing by hand, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt until well blended.
- Add the butter slices and pulse until the mixture looks like wet sand. You'll get some chunky crumbs but otherwise the mixture will appear a bit powdery.
- Slowly stream in the ice water, one Tablespoon at a time. You may not need all 7 Tablespoons of water, so watch your dough carefully. Once the dough forms and starts to turn into a single unit, stop mixing.
- Divide the dough into two. Flatten each dough ball into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill, at least 1-2 hours and up to 3 days in advance.
Make the filling
- Place your sliced apples in a large bowl. Sprinkle the cinnamon on top and toss, making sure each apple gets coated in cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan set over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and mix for about 1 minute.
- Add the sugar and water. Allow the mixture to come to a boil. Then turn down the heat and allow to simmer for another 3-4 minutes.
- Take the saucepan off the stove and pour the sauce into the large bowl with the apples. Mix well.
Assemble the pie
- Preheat your oven to 425°F.
- Roll out one of the dough discs on a lightly dusted surface. Place it into a standard pie pan and trim the edges.
- Transfer the apple filling into the crust and smooth the top as best you can.
- Roll out the second disc of dough. You can either place this directly on top of the apple filling (feel free to crimp the edges if you like - just make sure to make a few slits in the top to allow steam to escape) or decorate with a lattice top. I opted to try the lattice top.
- Put the pie plate on a baking sheet and bake in your preheated oven for 15 minutes. Then turn down the heat (without opening the oven door!) to 350°F and bake an additional 45 minutes or until the crust is golden and the apple filling is bubbling.
- Allow the pie to rest for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving.