Whew. Coming in right under the gun and posting a second pie recipe before the week is over. I made this pie twice in the last week, and I’ve found that pie making is quickly becoming one of my favorite things to do. First, because it’s relaxing and second, because there is nothing like the look of delight on someone’s face when you say that yes, you brought them pie, and yes, it’s from scratch.
Oh, and it’s a great way to use up all the apples that have been coming my way from my aunt and mother-in-law.
I’ve realized that making pie allows me to cater the pie to my exact preferences, too. Take, for example, this apple pie. Joe and I both agree that we like the apples to be soft and free of any crunch, with a hefty dose of cinnamon and a crust that’s deeply golden brown and covered in coarse sugar.
Is that your kind of applie pie? Then this recipe is for you. And me.
This pie series has already been so much fun I can hardly handle it. And now that I’ve been making crust for a while (video to come, I promise!) I don’t need a recipe, just a couple measuring cups and a little extra time.
- Pie crust for a double-crust pie
- 10 cups peeled and sliced apples
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 egg yolk, whisked
- 1 tablespoon half and half or heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon coarse sugar (turbinado)
- Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease/butter the bottom of a 9-inch deep dish pie plate. Set aside.
- Roll out half the pie crust to form the bottom crust. Drape pie crust into the bottom of the pie plate and press gently into the bottom and sides of the plate, leaving the crust hanging over the edge of the plate.
- In a large bow, combine the slices apples, sugar, corn starch and cinnamon. Stir until evenly combined and spoon apples into pie crust, mounding apples slightly in the center.
- Roll out the second half of the pie crust and drape over the apples. Press the crusts together and roll/crimp as desired. Use a sharp knife to cut a few slits on the top of the pie to let steam escape.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and half and half or heavy cream. Brush on pie with a pastry brush. Sprinkle top of pie with the coarse sugar.
- Bake pie 45 minutes at 375°F. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake 45 minutes to 1 hour more, until filling is bubbly and crust is deep golden brown. If necessary, cover the edge of the pie crust with a pie shield or aluminum foil to prevent over-browning during the last portion of baking. (For the record, I didn't need to)
- Cool at least 1 hour before cutting into slices to serve.