As many things as I have baked over the years, I have never made an Apple Pie. Well, I take that back- I have made my Mom's Apple Crumb Pie (which I will post soon), but never the classic apple pie with crust. As I was flipping through my November issue of
Food Network Magazine, I saw a recipe for apple pie and knew I had to make this one. It was the bomb!!! When I made the filling, it filled the whole house with a wonderful aroma and I really had to fight to refrain from sitting down with a spoon to just eat the feeling- it is SO good! It's like a little slice of heaven! The apples I used for the filling were: 4 Golden Delicious, 2 McIntosh and 4 Pink Lady. Honestly, I have never ventured out to try the many apple varieties there are, but am glad I did! You can use the dough recipe listed or your favorite dough recipe (or store bought). Next time I am going to try a pretty lattice top crust :-)
Ingredients
FILLING
3 pounds mixed apples (Golden Delicious, McIntosh and Pink Lady)
2/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (so much better than the bottled kind)
DOUGH
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 large eggs
Directions
1. Prepare the filling: Peel, halve and core the apples. Cut each into wedges (I used my apple corer/slicer).
Place apple slices in a bowl and toss with the sugar and lemon juice in a bowl.
Melt 4 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apple mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the firmer apples begin to soften but still hold their shape (about 8-9 minutes). Add the flour, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to the apples and toss until the juices begin to thicken (about 1 minute). Remove from heat and cool completely. *The filling can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator.
*Be warned that it's hard to not dig in right here :-)
2. Make the dough: Pulse the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor until combined. Add the shortening and pulse until disappears, about 30 seconds. (*I do not have a food processor, so did this part with my hands). Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal with pea-size bits of butter. Beat 1 egg with 1/4 cup ICE water in a bowl, then add to the processor and pulse twice. (Stop pulsing before the dough gathers into a ball). Lay out 2 sheets of plastic wrap; divide dough between the sheets and pat each into a disk. Wrap the disks tightly and refrigerate at least one hour.
