Here’s my absolute favorite version, developed after years of tweaking to solve a few problems, especially the occasional soggy crust from overly juicy apples. It’s best to start with Step 4 of the filling instruction, the most time-consuming task of draining the sliced apples for an hour or two, then boiling down the remaining rich juice until thickened and concentrated before tackling the crust.
This prized pie crust recipe includes the magical addition of citrus zest. If you’d rather have someone else do the work, I’m sold on store-bought Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts.
I lightened up on the filling spices to highlight the taste of the fruit: large apples from the farmers’ market in your own preferred combo of Honeycrisp, Fuji, Rome, Stayman, and Granny Smiths. And it never hurts to add a few chunks of butter atop the fruit.
Finish with ice cream or, as my father did, a slice of cheddar. “Apple pie without some cheese is like a kiss without a squeeze,” he always said.
Go, Dad! And happy July 4 to fellow readers of theamericantable.org.
Pie dough (makes two crusts)
3½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1½ teaspoons finely grated orange zest
1½ teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes
¼ cup chilled vegetable shortening
1 large egg yolk
½ cup cold water, or more as needed
Apple filling
8 cups (964g) peeled and sliced apples (about 5 to 7 large apples)
2 tablespoons (28g) fresh-squeezed lemon juice
¾ cup (149g) granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ cup (85g) boiled and concentrated apple cider,
or ¼ cup (70g) undiluted apple juice concentrate
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon (14g) plus 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, diced into medium-sized pieces
2 tablespoons (14g) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (14g) cornstarch or Instant ClearJel
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon water
1. Make the crust: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Stir the citrus zests into the sugar, and add to the flour mixture. Using your fingers, two knives, or a pastry blender, cut in the chilled butter and shortening until they are reduced to pea-size pieces. (Alternatively, combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor and pulse 12 times. Add the butter and shortening, and pulse 25 times, until reduced to pea-size pieces, then transfer to a large bowl.)
2. Add the egg yolk, stirring with a spatula until well blended. Gradually add the cold water, stirring just until the dough comes together. If it’s crumbly, add more water 1 teaspoon at a time. It should stay somewhat dry, not soggy. Test it by smearing a large pinch onto a cutting board to see a well-combined smudge. Add a bit more water if needed.
3. Divide the dough in half, forming each one into a disk. Wrap individually in plastic wrap to refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, and up to 1 day, before using. The dough can be sealed in freezer storage bags and frozen for up to 1 month; thaw for 2 hours in the refrigerator before using.
4. Make the filling: In a large bowl, toss the apple slices with just the lemon juice, sugar, salt, and spices (not the flour, no cornstarch or thickener, no boiled cider or juice concentrate). Let the ingredients sit for at least 1 hour or up to 2 hours to allow the apples to release much of their juices.
5. Scoop out the apple slices, leaving the liquid, and set apples aside in a large bowl. Pour the liquid that has accumulated at the bottom of the bowl into a small saucepan. Add the boiled cider or juice concentrate, and cook the liquid until it has been reduced by half and thickened into a syrup. It should remain easily pourable and not too thick. Take it off the heat and stir in the vanilla, maple syrup, and one tablespoon of the butter. Set aside.
6. Add the flour and cornstarch (or ClearJel) to the sliced apples, and mix gently with a wooden spoon.
7. Preheat the oven to 425° F. Place a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet.
8. Make the pie: Roll out one disk of pie dough into a 13-inch round, fit it into a 10-inch pie pan, and trim the edges at the point that they touch the countertop or cutting board. Fill the pie shell with the apple mixture, packing the slices so there are no large gaps. Pour or drizzle the reduced apple syrup evenly over the apples, letting it run between the slices. Scatter the remaining cubes of butter over the apples.
9. Roll out the second disk of dough into an 11-inch round and set it over the filling. Trim and crimp the edges to seal all the way around. Cut a few slits or star shapes in the center of the top crust.
10. Use a fork to whisk together the egg yolk and water in a small bowl. Use this egg wash to brush the top and crimped edges.
11. Place the pie on the rack in the baking sheet and bake for 60 to 75 minutes, turning the baking sheet from front to back halfway through, and bake until the pie filling is bubbling through the center slits (if the center isn’t bubbling, the filling hasn’t yet thickened and you’ll have a liquidy pie. It needs to bubble to set). Cover the pie loosely with foil if the edges seem to be browning too quickly.
12. Transfer the pie to a separate wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. Serve each portion with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a slice of cheddar cheese, if desired.
