Apple Pie Good Housekeeping Food

THE BEST APPLE PIE

Steps:

• For the dough: Pulse the flour, granulated sugar and salt in a food processor to combine. Add the butter and process until the largest pieces of butter are pea-size. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Stir the vodka, vinegar and 1/4 cup ice water in a small bowl (or 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon ice water if you're not using vodka). Drizzle the wet ingredients over the dough, and then mix with a fork until shaggy pieces form. Knead the dough in the bowl with your hands a couple of times until it comes together (it will look quite dry, which is fine). Transfer the large clumps of dough to a work surface. Drizzle 1 tablespoon ice water over any remaining smaller bits of dough in the bowl and knead again to bring it together. If the remaining dough is still too dry to come together, add more ice water in 1 tablespoon increments. Add to the dough on the work surface and press together into a single mass, incorporating any dry bits. Then pat the dough into a 1-inch-thick block. Divide the block into 4 pieces with a bench scraper or knife. Stack the pieces on top of one another, tucking any unincorporated dry bits in between the layers. Flatten the dough into a 3/4-inch-thick block. Repeat this process (cutting, stacking and flattening) three more times; this creates layers of butter in the dough that produces a wonderful flaky, almost puff pastry-like crust.
• Divide the dough in half and form into 1-inch-thick discs; wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or preferably overnight. The dough can be made 3 days ahead. Keep it refrigerated or freeze it for up to 3 months.
• To fill and assemble: Peel, core and slice the apples into 1/2-inch wedges. Toss the apples, brown sugar, flour, butter, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt, allspice and nutmeg in a large bowl. Let the fruit sit for 30 minutes to extract the juices.
• Meanwhile, soften one dough disc at room temperature for 5 minutes. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly flour your work surface. Roll the dough out to 1/8-inch thick (about 16 inches in diameter). Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate. Soften the second disc at room temperature for 5 minutes. Then roll it out to the same thickness and diameter as the first disc.
• Carefully transfer the second disc to a 9-inch pie dish. Lift the edges so the dough slumps down into the dish. Press the dough firmly against the sides and bottom of the dish. Trim the edges, leaving about a 1-inch overhang. Refrigerate for 5 minutes to firm up. Remove the first disc from the refrigerator and let it soften for 5 minutes.
• Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Line another rimmed baking sheet with foil and place it on the center rack.
• Scrape the apple filling into the pie dish, creating a mound in the center. Beat the egg with 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl and brush the edges of the dough. Place the other disc over the filling. Trim the edges, leaving about a 1/2-inch overhang. Fold the bottom edge up and over the top edge; press together to seal. Crimp the edge and brush the top with egg wash. Sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Cut several vents in the top evenly spaced. Freeze the pie for 10 minutes.
• Put the pie dish on the preheated baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 375 degrees F. Continue to bake for 45 minutes, and then loosely tent with foil. Continue baking until the crust is a deep golden brown and the juices are thick and vigorously bubbling, 35 to 45 minutes longer. The juices will start to bubble at around 75 minutes, but they will thicken and bubble faster in the last 15 minutes; don't be tempted to pull it out until the bubbles are really going. (If using a clear pie dish, check underneath to make sure the bottom crust is evenly browned.) Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let it cool at least 4 hours before serving. (Yes, it smells amazing, and yes, people love warm pie. But if you don't give it time to set up properly, the filling will be runny when you cut into it.)

ULTIMATE APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Put a layer of paper towels on a large baking sheet. Quarter, core, peel and slice the apples about 5mm thick and lay evenly on the baking sheet. Put paper towels on top and set aside while you make and chill the pastry.
• For the pastry, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until just mixed. Break in a whole egg and a yolk (keep the white for glazing later). Beat together for just under 1 min - it will look a bit like scrambled egg. Now work in the flour with a wooden spoon, a third at a time, until it's beginning to clump up, then finish gathering it together with your hands. Gently work the dough into a ball, wrap in cling film, and chill for 45 mins. Now mix the 140g/5oz sugar, the cinnamon and flour for the filling in a bowl that is large enough to take the apples later.
• After the pastry has chilled, heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Lightly beat the egg white with a fork. Cut off a third of the pastry and keep it wrapped while you roll out the rest, and use this to line a pie tin - 20-22cm round and 4cm deep - leaving a slight overhang. Roll the remaining third to a circle about 28cm in diameter. Pat the apples dry with kitchen paper, and tip them into the bowl with the cinnamon-sugar mix. Give a quick mix with your hands and immediately pile high into the pastry-lined tin.
• Brush a little water around the pastry rim and lay the pastry lid over the apples pressing the edges together to seal. Trim the edge with a sharp knife and make 5 little slashes on top of the lid for the steam to escape. (Can be frozen at this stage.) Brush it all with the egg white and sprinkle with caster sugar. Bake for 40-45 mins, until golden, then remove and let it sit for 5-10 mins. Sprinkle with more sugar and serve while still warm from the oven with softly whipped cream.

PERFECT APPLE PIE

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in shortening. Gradually add cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing lightly with a fork until dough forms a ball. Chill for 30 minutes. On a floured surface, roll half of dough into 10-in. circle. Place into a 9-in. pie pan. , In a bowl, toss apples with lemon juice. Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg; add to apples and toss. Pour into crust; dot with butter. Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie; cut slits in top. Place over filling; seal and flute edges. Beat egg yolk and water; brush over pastry. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°; bake 40-45 minutes more or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly.

APPLE PIE - GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

Steps:

• Prepare pastry. Roll out half of pastry and line 9-inch pie plate.
• In small bowl, combine sugar (amount depends on tartness of apples) and next 5 ingredients.
• Place half of thinly sliced apples in piecrust; sprinkle with half of sugar mixture. Top with rest of apples, then rest of sugar mixture.(I like to overlap the slices in a circular pattern).
• Dot the filling with butter. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Roll out remaining paastry for top crust and decorate as desired. Be sure to cut vents in crust at a minimum. Fold pastry overhang under then bring up over pie plate rim. Pinch to form a high edge then make your choice of decorative edge.
• For a golden glaze bush the top crust (but not the edge) lightly with some milk. Bake pie for 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is golden.

LATTICE TOP APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Heat your oven to 180 degrees and let it preheat.
• In a big bowl sieve in your flour and add your salt and baking powder and give it a light stir.
• Cut your butter into small fragments (easier to mix the softer but no too soft or melted)add your egg and egg yolk and natural yogurt and sugar.
• Using your hand you mix the mixture toghter in a squashing like motion until it forms a ball of dough , (if you find it too wet add more flour if you find it too dry add more yogurt).
• You can now put the dough into the fridge while you make the apple filling.
• Peel the apples from the skin and dice them into small cubes.
• In a saucepan boil 1/2 cup of water with the sugar and add half the cinnamon.
• when the water reaches boiling you can throw in the apples and cover them in the rest of the cinnamon,mixing the apples you might get too much water you can pour some out into a seperate bowl at the side.
• Letting the apples soften and boil for about 10 mintues or untill they arent hard and can mush easily setting them aside to cool.
• Taking your dough out the fridge you can flour an area of your worktop preparing it for the dough.
• Cut about 3/4 of your dough and roll it out to the size of your pan laying it down and poking small holes at the bottom when in the pan.
• Scoop out all your apple filling and spread it out eavingly in the pan.
• Rolling out any residue dough and using a ruller to cut our 1inch wide rectangles to fit your pan.
• You should have aproximentally 8 of these stripes laying half of them horizontal and the rest vertical.
• Cut off and excess of the sides and sprinkle the sugar and optional egg wash and put in the oven for about 40min.

APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. To make the pastry, sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the butter or margarine. Using your fingers, mix together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
• Add about 3 tbsp cold water - 1 tbsp at a time - to bind the mixture into a ball. Then wrap it in cling film and leave to chill in the fridge while you prepare the apples, or for 30 mins if you have time.
• While the pastry is chilling, core the apples, then cut into even-sized chunks so they all cook in the same amount of time. Put the apples into the pie dish, drizzle over the honey and add the cinnamon, mixed spice and about 2 tbsp water.
• Roll out the pastry on a floured work surface until it is large enough to cover the pie dish. Using the rolling pin, carefully lift the pastry and lay it over the top of the apple mixture. Carefully trim off the excess pastry (this can be rerolled and cut into shapes to decorate the pie crust if you like) and press the pastry edges onto the dish to create a seal.
• Make a small cut in the pastry so that the air can escape during cooking, then brush with beaten egg to glaze.
• Bake the pie in the oven for 20-30 mins until the pastry is golden and sandy in appearance and the apple filling is bubbling and hot. Serve while still warm with crème fraîche, ice cream or natural yogurt.