Apples great for Apple Pie
Use approximately 4 pounds of apples (or about 11 cups of sliced apples).
For the best apple flavor, try adding more than one variety of apple to your pie.
We especially love these varieties of apples for baked desserts and pie:
- Granny Smith— Your standard, never-fails classic baking apple. Tart, crisp, and they keep their structure after time in the oven.
- Honeycrisp— Extra crisp and always holds firm after baking. Great Flavor. One of our favorites at Glascock’s Produce!
- Jonagold— Tart with a bit of sweetness. They also hold up well in the oven.
- Crispin/Mutsu— Big apples that look like a large Golden Delicious. Has a sweet, honeyed flavor and holds up well in pie.
- Pink Lady— A good balance of sweet and tart. Will also hold its shape when baked.
- Golden Delicious— Sweet and flavorful apple that’s very versatile. Will hold up in pie but will become softer than some of the varieties mentioned above.
Ingredients:
- Pie dough for top and bottom 9-inch pie, chilled
- 4 to 4 ¼ pounds baking apples (7 to 8 apples), see notes for suggestions
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch or use 4 tablespoons tapioca flour/starch
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 egg
Instructions:
MAKE APPLE FILLING
Peel, and then cut the apples in half. Remove the cores, and then slice apple halves into thin slices, about 1/4-inch thick. Place the apple slices into a very large bowl.
Scatter both sugars, salt, and spices over the apples, and then use your hands to toss them, coating the apple slices as much as possible. Set aside for 1 hour at room temperature.
PREPARE PIE CRUST
Roll out the first half of pie dough on a lightly floured work surface. To prevent the dough from sticking and to ensure uniform thickness, roll from the center of the dough outwards and keep lifting up and turning the dough a quarter turn as you roll. Check for the correct size by inverting the pie dish over the dough. The dough should be about 1 1/2 to 2 inches larger than the dish.
Being careful not to stretch it, place the dough into the pie dish, and then trim overhanging dough to within 3/4-inch of the edge of the dish. Refrigerate while you make the pie filling.
Roll out the second half of the dough to a similar size as before and transfer it to a large parchment-lined baking sheet. Keep this in the refrigerator until needed.
PREPARE OVEN
Position an oven rack towards the center of the oven, and then heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
ASSEMBLE PIE
Toss cornstarch (or tapioca) with the apples. Transfer most (if not all) of the apples into the prepared bottom crust, using your hands to really pack them down into the pie. Fill the pie until apples are mounded at the same height as the edge of the pie crust. If you have too many apples, save them (see notes).
Pour the juices that have accumulated at the bottom of the bowl over the apples. (If it looks like there’s more than 3/4 to 1 cup of liquid, you might want to leave some behind, see notes below). Cut a tablespoon of butter into 8 or so small pieces and dot them over the pie.
For a double-crust pie, place the second pie dough round over the filling or cut it into strips and lattice the top. If you are not adding a lattice crust and instead are adding the top crust in one piece, use a sharp knife to cut a few slits in the top of the crust to allow steam to vent.
Trim excess dough from the top crust or lattice strips, and then fold the overhang underneath itself, forming a thick rim. Press it together or crimp it with your fingers (or use a fork).
Whisk the egg with a tablespoon of water, and then use it as an egg wash by lightly brushing the top crust. This adds shine and helps the crust brown.
BAKE PIE
Place the prepared pie onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (this can be the same lined baking sheet used for chilling the top crust). Bake the pie for about 75 minutes, turning a few times for even browning.
If you notice that the pie crust is browning too quickly, mold a large piece of foil over a bowl that’s been placed upside down to make a foil dome. Place the foil dome over the pie for the remaining bake time. This will slow the browning.
Apple pie is done when the juices are bubbling through the vents of the top crust or lattice. If you do not see bubbles, the pie needs more time. Another way to check for doneness is to use an internal thermometer. Pierce the pie in the middle then test the temperature. The pie is done when it reads 195 degrees F. Piercing the pie is also a nice indication of how soft the apples are. If they feel too crunchy, the pie needs more time.
SERVING
Be sure to cool the pie, without slicing into it, for at least 1 hour, preferably longer. Keep in mind that the pie filling does not fully thicken until it is completely cooled. So, for the absolute best results, cool the pie to room temperature, and then place it into the refrigerator for an hour or two.
Waiting to cut into the pie until cool will prevent a soggy slice.
STORING AND LEFTOVERS
Leftover pie will keep, at room temperature, for 2 to 3 days or in the refrigerator up to a week. Rewarm slices in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 5 to 10 minutes before serving them.
How Long Does Apple Pie Take?
We bake a standard 9-inch pie in a 400-degree oven for about 75 minutes.
One of the biggest complaints with apple pie is that the filling is too runny, even after following a recipe. This extra long bake time makes sure the liquid in the apple pie filling has a chance to simmer and thicken.
3 simple methods for telling when apple pie is ready to come out of the oven:
Visual cue: Apple pie is done when the juices are bubbling through the vents of the top crust or lattice. If you do not see bubbles, the pie needs more time.
Internal temperature: The pie is done when an internal thermometer inserted into the middle of the pie reads 195 degrees Fahrenheit (90C).
Texture of the apples: Piercing the pie is a good indication of how soft the apples are. If they feel too crunchy, the pie needs more time.
More Baking Tips for Apple Pie
- Use a trusted pie crust recipe.
- Prepare the apple pie filling first and set it aside for 1 hour, allowing the apples to release their juices then mix the apples and the juices with a thickener like cornstarch.
- Bake at 400 degrees F for approximately 75 minutes, turning a few times for even browning. The long bake time makes sure that the filling thickens inside the pie.
- If your crust starts to brown too quickly or looks to be turning too dark, mold a large piece of foil over a bowl that’s been placed upside down to make a foil dome. Place the foil dome over the pie for the remaining bake time. This will slow the browning.
- Let apple pie cool before cutting into it. For the best results, the filling should be room temperature or cold before slicing. Cooling the pie gives the liquid inside a chance to thicken even more, which means it won’t spill out into a pool when you cut into the pie. (This is true for other fruit pies, especially blueberry pie and homemade cherry pie.)
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