cooking / desserts

Apple Pie

serves 8 · about 1.5 hours active, plus 2 hours cooling · 30 minutes hands on · medium

Why This Works

The key move is pre-cooking the filling. "Apple pies that have crunchy, raw apples in them are a pet peeve of mine," says Kierin Baldwin, one of New York's great pie makers — so the apples are cooked soft with a splash of acid and a hint of cinnamon and allspice, then cooled completely before going into the crust. Starting the pie on a preheated baking sheet crisps the bottom crust.

Ingredients

Filling

  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2½ lbs apples, peeled, cored, and cut into wedges (about 5 large Honeycrisps)
  • ¼ tsp ground allspice
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt
  • ¾ cup + 1 Tbsp sugar, divided
  • 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Assembly

  • 1 recipe all-purpose pie dough (2 disks)
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten, for egg wash

Method

  1. Cook the apples. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the apples, and stir to coat, cooking and stirring occasionally.
  2. Add sugar and spices. Whisk together the spices, salt, and ¾ cup sugar; sprinkle over the pan and stir. Lower the heat and cook until the apples start to soften, 5-7 minutes.
  3. Thicken. Sprinkle the flour and cornstarch over the apples and cook, stirring occasionally, another 3-5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the cider vinegar, then scrape the filling into a bowl and cool completely (it cools faster spread on a rimmed baking sheet).
  4. Prep the oven and bottom crust. Set a large baking sheet on the middle rack and preheat to 425°F. Roll one disc of dough on a lightly floured surface to roughly 12 inches.
  5. Line the plate. Fit the crust into a 9-inch pie plate, trimming to a ½-inch overhang, and put the plate in the freezer. Roll the second disc to 10-11 inches.
  6. Fill. Put the cooled filling into the chilled bottom crust and cover with the top crust.
  7. Seal and vent. Press the edges together, trim, crimp with a fork, and cut four or so steam vents in the top.
  8. Egg wash. Brush the top lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of sugar.
  9. Bake on the hot baking sheet for 20 minutes, then reduce to 375°F and continue until the interior bubbles and the crust is golden brown, about 30-40 minutes more.
  10. Cool on a rack about 2 hours before serving.

Notes

  • Cool the filling completely — hot filling melts the butter in the crust.
  • Apple varieties: Honeycrisp as specified, or Granny Smith, Braeburn, Jonagold; a mix works great. You want apples that hold their shape with a sweet-tart balance.
  • Storage: 2 days loosely covered at room temperature, up to 5 days refrigerated. Refresh the crust 10 minutes at 350°F.