Old-Fashioned Apple Pie
My favourite dessert is a thick slice of just-baked pie, with apples fresh from our local orchard, and still warm from the oven. But I’m always careful to save a thick wedge because I believe apple pie is at its best the next morning for breakfast. I prefer an easy-to-make butter pastry crust. Its secret is frozen butter, which adds flavour and is much easier than shortening to “cut” into the flour.
Ingredients
for the pastry:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks frozen butter
12 tablespoons ice water
for the filling:
6 or 8 large Honey Crisp or Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks frozen butter
12 tablespoons ice water
for the filling:
6 or 8 large Honey Crisp or Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
Whisk the flour, sugar and salt together in a large bowl.
Using a standard box or potato grater, grate the frozen butter into the flour and toss lightly with your fingers until it’s thoroughly combined. Sprinkle in the ice water and stir with your fingers, mixing and firmly kneading until the dough comes together in a ball.
Divide dough into 2 pieces; making sure that one half is slightly larger than the other. Wrap in plastic wrap, flatten and chill for at least 30 minutes, or even overnight. Resting tenderizes the pastry, making it easier to roll.
Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and allow it to warm slightly, just until it’s pliable. Lightly flour your hands, the rolling pin, your work surface and the dough.
Roll out the larger pastry piece into a circle large enough to slightly overlap the edges of a 9-inch glass deep-dish pie dish. As you roll, for ease of handling, lightly flour the dough every time its diameter doubles, then flip it over and continue rolling. Transfer the dough to the pie dish by folding it into quarters then unfolding it in the dish.
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
Toss the apple slices with the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Add the apple mixture to the bottom crust. Roll out the remaining smaller piece and carefully place it over the top of the pie.
Roll and crimp the edges of the dough together, tightly sealing them. Poke a few vent holes into the top of the pie and place on the bottom rack of oven.
Bake for an hour or so, until the crust is golden and the juices are bubbling.
Using a standard box or potato grater, grate the frozen butter into the flour and toss lightly with your fingers until it’s thoroughly combined. Sprinkle in the ice water and stir with your fingers, mixing and firmly kneading until the dough comes together in a ball.
Divide dough into 2 pieces; making sure that one half is slightly larger than the other. Wrap in plastic wrap, flatten and chill for at least 30 minutes, or even overnight. Resting tenderizes the pastry, making it easier to roll.
Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and allow it to warm slightly, just until it’s pliable. Lightly flour your hands, the rolling pin, your work surface and the dough.
Roll out the larger pastry piece into a circle large enough to slightly overlap the edges of a 9-inch glass deep-dish pie dish. As you roll, for ease of handling, lightly flour the dough every time its diameter doubles, then flip it over and continue rolling. Transfer the dough to the pie dish by folding it into quarters then unfolding it in the dish.
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
Toss the apple slices with the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Add the apple mixture to the bottom crust. Roll out the remaining smaller piece and carefully place it over the top of the pie.
Roll and crimp the edges of the dough together, tightly sealing them. Poke a few vent holes into the top of the pie and place on the bottom rack of oven.
Bake for an hour or so, until the crust is golden and the juices are bubbling.
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Recipe Submitted by
Chef Michael
I’m a FoodTV host, cookbook author and official food ambassador for Prince Edward Island, more importantly I’m a Dad and passionate home cook!
Variation
You may use any apples of your choice and, for extra flavour, try tossing the apples with a cup or so of raisins. For another seasonal treat, try substituting 2 1/2 lb of peeled and sliced ripe local peaches for the apples.
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clear their motive, and that is also happening with this article which I am reading here.
How do you make the same recipe with 2 apples
Get real retard
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Beautiful ! Oh and the pie looks great great also ;) …….
Thanks for the recipe , i watch your show whenever i get a chance,
My apple tree in the backyard has produced the best apples ever this year , the tree is about 7 years old and we had a great spring ths year NO Frost,
Question for you , is there some way of preserving a bunch of these
thanx
I’d like the recipe for your apple pie with rolled large flake oats and whole wheat flour in the pastry (both top and bottom layers). the filling had apple wedges with the peel, honey, cinnamon, and flour. Am trying to avoid cooking with sugar.
what is 12 tablespoons? a half cup a whole cup?
whole grains pie pastry, could I have the recipe please
Mom always used Gravenstein apples and they made awesome pies ,but I can’t seem to find them anywhere ??
I added a few more ingredients to this recipe.
I squeezed one half of a fresh lemon and 1/2 of the rind and added about 1/2 tsp. of grated nutmeg, sprinkled the top crust with egg wash and white sugar.
So tasty and beautiful to the eye.
The acid from yhe lemon with the apple acid seemed to work.
Any pumpkin recepi???
how much butter?
how much grams butter is one stick?
2 sticks = 1cup = 226 gms
always use unsalted butter in baking so you can control the salt. (Unless the recipe specifies salted butter)
It’s funny you should ask the same question we Canadians are not use to hearing, A stick of butter is 1/2 cup. Took me a while to get my brain around that one as well.
Salted or unsalted butter! How to prevent bottom crust from getting soggy! Is a lard pastry recipe just as good?
Tks for any help.
To prevent the bottom crust from getting soggy, sprinkle some tapioca on it before putting the apples in. I don’t like the lard pastry as much, but that’s just my opinion.
or<< just place your oven rack on the lowest part of the oven, this will indeed make a perfect un soggy pie.
Wondering if this recipie calls for salted or unsalted butter…thanks :)
I tried it with salt butter (cheaper) and added half what the recipe called for.
It worked and tasted so good!
does this recipie call for salted or unsalted butter?
Thanks so much :)
seen your show on apples today and i have to say i to love apples. the best thing i found on your show was to use a grater and frozen butter great tip and thanks
agreed! so much for granny’s lard hey? the frozen butter mind you more costly, is a full proof.
Hi: I saw your show that had the apple pie with (I believe) rolled oats in the pastry and also apple wedges with the peel. If you could forward that pastry, I would really, really appreciate it. It’s looks so yummy! Thanks.
saw your show on local tv and enjoy it . as an exmontrealer i say good work
saw you making banana muffins and could not write it down
can you please supply me with a copy
thanks very much
Would like to know how to make the other kind of topping /crust that is crumbly.can’t make a perfect one.