Apple Pie
If we had to choose a national dessert, apple pie would be at the top of the list. It's been part of our culture since Colonial days. This pie lets the apples tell the story, with a little bit of help from lemon juice, cinnamon, and some apple juice concentrate or boiled cider. For the best apple flavor, use more than one variety of apple in your filling. Use apples that will hold their shape during baking: Jonagold, Granny Smith, Ginger Gold, Cameo, Northern Spy, and Delicious are some good choices. And, when it comes time to serve, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream; or a slice of sharp cheddar cheese, as New Englanders often do.
Our guarantee: This pie has vibrant apple flavor and a flaky crust.
Crust
- 2 1/2 cups Mellow Pastry Blend or King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup vegetable shortening
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup plus 1 to 2 tablespoons ice water
Filling
- 8 cups sliced apples
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 cup boiled cider or undiluted apple juice concentrate
- 2 tablespoons butter, diced in small pieces
Directions
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1) In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. |
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8) Lightly grease a 9-inch pie pan that's at least 2 inches deep. This will make serving the pie easier after it's baked. |
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9) Combine the sliced apples and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl. |
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14) Time to preheat the oven to 425°F. |
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16) Flute the edges of the pie, then place it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to firm up the crust while the oven finishes heating. |
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18) When the pie is done, remove it from the oven and cool it completely before slicing. |
Recipe summary
- Hands-on time:
- 45 mins.
- Baking time:
- 55 mins. to 1 hrs 5 mins.
- Total time:
- 2 hrs
- Yield:
- One 9" pie, 8 servings
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- Recipe comments (49) »
Tips from our bakers
- Cutting any fruit pie that's still warm is a messy business. The filling continues to thicken as the pie cools, and if you cut it too soon it will run out all over the place. It's better to bake the pie in advance, cool it completely, then warm each slice as needed after it's been cut.
- The smaller the apple slices in the filling, the neater the wedge of pie will look after its cut.
- You can add extra crunch and shine to the pie by brushing the top with milk and sprinkling it with coarse sugar before baking it.
- To minimize the gap between the filling and the top crust, you can cook all of the filling ingredients together until the apples give up their liquid and the filling thickens. Cool the filling completely before placing the filling in the crust-lined pie pan.
| Nutrition Facts | |
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Serving Size 1 slice
Servings Per Batch 8 |
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| Amount Per Serving | |
| Calories 420 | Calories from Fat 160 |
| Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat | 18g |
| Saturated Fat | 8g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Cholesterol | 25mg |
| Sodium | 270mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 63g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4g |
| Sugars | 31g |
| Protein | 4g |
| * The nutrition information provided for each recipe is determined by the ESHA Genesis R&D software program. Substituting any ingredients may change the posted nutrition information. | |
Reviews
12/24/2009
First time I ever made pastry in 60 years - Fabulous. Will make this again and again for my grandchildren.
12/18/2009
12/14/2009
best pie ever
12/07/2009
I made this recipe for Thanksgiving and was very very pleased with it. I messed up my prep time overall for dinner a little bit because I had assumed I'd be baking the bottom crust first then adding the filling. When I saw that you baked it all together I was worried that I'd get soggy bottom crust which I hate. I shouldn't have worried, the bottom was flaky and dry (in a good way) like I've never seen before. The apple filling was quite tasty, but I could highly recommend cooking the apples beforehand. I didn't see the "tip" until after it was baking and I think it should be more of a required step. I had a big beautiful crust and then a good inch below it, the filling started! No one minded once they tasted it though. A definite keeper.
12/01/2009
Fabulous KAF! Made this pie in a deep dish pan so ended up modifying the recipe to allow for more apples, etc. I didn't have boiled cider as the recipe calls for but used organic apple cider that I had purchased at a local farmer's market.. seemed to work well! I also took your suggestion and used two different kinds of apples...this does improve the overall flavor. Served this at T'giving and it was a hit. Would make again and this did turn out just as KAF said it would. LOVE your recipes! Thanks for making baking such a pleasure.
11/30/2009
For those of you without easy access to boiled cider, The Brattleboro Reformer describes how to make boiled cider: http://www.reformer.com/food/ci_13837956. It is basically brown apple cider heated and reduced to one seventh of its original volume. Easy to burn, so stir it and keep an eye on it. Purchasing the boiled cider is definitely a time saver.
11/27/2009
I made this apple pie and served it yesterday for Thanksgiving. My entire family was so pleased and impressed. They took more pictures of the pie than of the family. My husband said after his first bite, "I have never tasted an apple pie this good." And this was the first pie I had ever baked! The recipie was so easy to follow. I used Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, and Courtland apples; the pie was slightly tart and was perfectly moist, but not runny. I can't wait to make another one!
11/26/2009
I made this pie last year at Thanksgiving without the boiled cider (didn't have any) and thought the pie was really good, but this year I ordered the boiled cider during a KA free shipping special and -- WOW that made an incredible difference!! As others have stated, the boiled cider really takes this over the top and turns this into the best apple pie I've ever had! Instead of brushing milk and sprinkling sugar over the top, I did "as my mama taught me" and dotted the top crust with thinly sliced butter and then sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. Amazing pie--can't wait to have another piece tonight!
11/25/2009
YUM! This is pretty much the only apple pie I will eat. I've never been a big fan of apples or apple pie. But my sister made this recipe about 6 years ago for the first time, and I was begged into trying it. I could not believe how good it was! Ever since then, I do the begging--trying to convince my sister to make it at least 2 or 3 times each fall. The apple filling is not syrupy or overly sweet, which is why I think I like it. So I highly recommend this apple pie. It's the best one I've ever eaten.
11/17/2009
Delicious!! I made this pie today and my family loved it, especially my husband who is an apple pie afficionado! I would like to make another one in advance to serve at Thanksgiving. Would it be better to assemble the pie, freeze it and then bake it the day before Thanksgiving or assemble, bake, and defrost? If I assemble and freeze, should I defrost it first or bake it from frozen?? Thanks KAF!
Brooke - It would be better to assemble the pie and freeze unbaked. You can either bake right from the freezer or let it defrost first in a preheated 425 degree oven for the first 25-30 minutes. Turn down the temperature to 350 degrees to finish the bake. Elisabeth @ KAF
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