All About Pie

What is the best classic apple pie recipe?

I am making 2 apple pies. I have all the basic ingredients, and I am using frozen pie crust. I'd like a tried and true recipe that yields great results. I am a pretty proficient baker, but I need very specific directions. Thanks!

Public Comments

1. Gramma's Apple Pie Filling: 1 cup sugar 2 tablespoons flour 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 6 tart apples, cored, peeled and cut into chunks 1 tablespoon butter For the filling: mix the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg with apples and set aside. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Pinch dough around the edges to seal it. Poke the top of the pie with a fork gently. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour.
2. Classic Apple Pie INGREDIENTS: 6 to 8 apples, such as Granny Smith, Cortland, Rome, or a local variety of tart apples Juice of half a lemon 3/4 cup sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. nutmeg 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour Flaky Piecrust 2 tbsp. butter, cut into chunks Milk (for glaze) . 1.Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Meanwhile, peel the apples and slice the apples into 1/4-inch pieces. Place the apples (about 6 cups) in a large mixing bowl. 2. Next, pour the lemon juice over the apples and add the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour. Toss well. Spoon the spiced apples into the lined piecrust and dot with the butter. 3. A pie's top crust is as much art as food. For a lattice style, roll out the second disk of dough, cut it into 14 strips about 1/2 inch wide, and lay 7 of the strips across the pie, 1/2 inch apart. Working from the middle of the pie toward one side, fold back every other strip, then lay a cross strip across the remaining flat strips. Return the folded strips, then fold back the alternate strips and lay in the next crosspiece. Continue, creating a weave pattern. When one half of the crust is woven, repeat with the other side. Finally, use your thumb and index finger to crimp the edges. For a top crust, place the rolled-out dough loosely on top of the apple mixture. With the tines of a fork, make a decorative pattern around the edges. Next, cut pie dough ornaments, place on top of the pie, and cut slits in the dough to allow the steam to escape. Brush the top with milk for a glaze. 4. Place the pie in the preheated oven (lay a sheet of aluminum foil on the rack below to catch any juices). Bake for 45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and you can see the juices bubbling. If the crust begins to brown before the pie is fully baked, cover it with foil. 5. Let the pie cool, then slice it into wedges. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a slice of Cheddar cheese. Serves 8.
3. Deep-dish Apple Pie 4 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, quartered, and cored 1 lemon, zested 1 orange, zested 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice 1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 teaspoon to sprinkle on top 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice Perfect Pie Crust, recipe follows 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut each apple quarter in thirds crosswise and combine in a bowl with the zests, juices, 1/2 cup sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Roll out half the pie dough and drape it over a 9- or 10-inch pie pan to extend about 1/2-inch over the rim. Don't stretch the dough; if it's too small, just put it back on the board and re-roll it. Fill the pie with the apple mixture. Brush the edge of the bottom pie crust with the egg wash so the top crust will adhere. Top with the second crust and trim the edges to about 1-inch over the rim. Tuck the edge of the top crust under the edge of the bottom crust and crimp the 2 together with your fingers or a fork. Brush the entire top crust with the egg wash, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar, and cut 4 or 5 slits. Place the pie on a sheet pan and bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until the crust is browned and the juices begin to bubble out. Serve warm. Perfect Pie Crust: 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon sugar 1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening 6 to 8 tablespoons (about 1/2 cup) ice water Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan, and unfold to fit the pan. Repeat with the top crust. Yield: 2 (10-inch) crusts hope this helps. enjoy.