Vintage Apple Pie
Tender, flaky crust filled with sweet, cinnamon spiced apples. An all American classic!
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Paring knife
- Vegetable peeler
- Pastry blender optional
- 9 inch Pie plate
- Rolling Pin
- Plastic wrap
Ingredients
CRUST
- 2½ cups all purpose flour 300g
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, chilled
- ½ cup lard, chilled
- ½ cup ice water
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
FILLING
- 6-8 apples, peeled, cored and sliced about 6-7 cups
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, cloves or allspice optional
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Milk or cream for brushing on top
- Turbinado sugar for sprinkling on top
Instructions
TO MAKE THE CRUST
- In a large bowl combine all purpose flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, 2 knives or your fingers, cut in the butter and lard until the mixture resembles very coarse oats. Do not over cut the fats in; there should still be several larger chunks visible here and there.
- In a small cup combine the ice water and vinegar. Gradually sprinkle this into the flour mixture, stirring until it forms a rough dough that barely comes together. You may not need all of the liquid. It is okay if the dough looks slightly crumbly as adding too much liquid can make your crust hard.
- Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap onto your work surface. Dump the rough dough mixture onto the plastic. Now using the sides of the plastic, squeeze the dough mixture together to form a ball in the center. Wrap it tightly and press into a firm disc. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour to firm up and hydrate.
TO MAKE THE FILLING
- In a large bowl (you can use the same bowl you used to make the pie crust), combine the apples, sugar, lemon juice, all purpose flour, cinnamon, salt and spices, if using. Toss together to coat the apples well.
TO ASSEMBLE THE PIE
- Once the dough has chilled, divide it in half. Wrap the other half back in the plastic and keep refrigerated while you roll out the bottom crust. On a lightly floured surface, roll the bottom crust out into an 11-12 inch circle. It should be about ⅛ inch thick. Using the rolling pin, transfer the crust evenly into an ungreased pie plate. Press down firmly to ensure the bottom edges line the plate well. There should be at least 1 inch of overhang.
- Pour the apple filling into the bottom crust and level evenly. Dot here and there with 2 tablespoons of butter. Roll out the second piece of dough the same way as the first piece. Brush some water around the edge of the bottom crust to act as a "glue," then transfer the top crust directly over the filling. Press the edges down firmly and trim any excess overhang. Tuck the crust underneath itself to seal further and flute the edge. You can also press all the way around with a fork to create another decorative effect. For best results, chill the pie for 1 hour before baking.
- Preheat oven to 425F/218℃. Once oven has reach temperature, brush the chilled pie with a generous amount of milk or cream. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar, if desired, then cut a few slits in the middle for steam vents. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce oven to 375℉/190℃ and bake another 35-40 minutes. The crust should be golden brown and the filling should be bubbling the the middle. Cool pie for at least 3 hours before serving.
Notes
While baking, you may want to place a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a pan of water on the very lower rack of your oven. This will catch any drippings from the pie that may leak out.