This homemade apple pie is such a favorite of mine. It is made entirely from scratch. Juicy apples are gently simmered in a buttery, sugary cinnamon sauce, transforming into a delicious filling, then baked to perfection in a flaky homemade double crust.
Old Fashioned Apple Pie
No worries if you have never made an apple pie from scratch, or if you have and the apple pie comes out with a soggy crust or runny juices. My recipe is straightforward and simple to follow.
Apple pie is the perfect all-around American Dessert, and everyone enjoys it any time of the year.
Around our house, Apple pie is a favorite in the fall months, starting with Labor Day and continuing through Thanksgiving. We tend to eat cream pies and no-bake pies from Easter on into the summer months.
Over the years, I have been looking for tips to improve my recipes. Whether to cook the apples or not, to use a variety of baking apples, or to stick with one baking variety. I even tried a premade thickening versus just flour, cornstarch, and sugar. I prefer the cornstarch.
I found that some of the tips helped me on the path to making the most delicious apple pie. The best tip I use now is to precook my apples into a pie filling.
WHERE CAN I FIND THE RECIPE? TAKE ME TO THE RECIPE FOR HOMEMADE APPLE PIE
Below, under the next heading, I provide a list of preferred ingredients, tips, and cooking instructions for Homemade Apple Pie, along with similar recipe ideas you can try.
Alternatively, you can scroll down to the bottom, where you will find a full printable recipe card with ingredient amounts and complete instructions, including helpful notes.
TIPS AND TIDBITS FOR THE BEST HOMEMADE APPLE PIE
Use a mix of apples. Combining different apple varieties offers more complexity and balance. Use both sweet apples (Honeycrisp or Fuji) and tart ones (like Granny Smith, Gala, McIntosh) for the best flavor and texture. Avoid soft or mealy apples, such as Red Delicious.
Precook the apples. For a gooey yet structured filling, I recommend cooking the apples briefly on the stove. This allows them to soften and release juices, which you can drain or use for thickening with cornstarch.
Thicken the filling. Use a thickening like cornstarch, flour, or tapioca. I recommend the cornstarch for creating a clear, shiny filling.
Light on spices. You can use cinnamon and nutmeg in the pie, but I prefer to use only cinnamon and let the apple flavor be the star.
Pie crust. You can use store bought pie crust, but the homemade will elevate the flavor and texture of the pie. See the notes for my homemade buttery flaky pie crust..
Chill the pie. After assembling the pie, place the entire pie back in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes or the freezer for 10-15 minutes before baking. This helps the butter stay firm and prevents the crust from shrinking.
Use foil to prevent too much browning. Use aluminum foil to cover the pie. This will prevent the pie from browning too quickly.
Let it cool completely. The filling needs several hours to set properly. Cutting the pie while it's still warm will cause the filling to spill out. For the cleanest slices, let the pie cool completely to room temperature.
WHAT YOU NEED TO PREPARE HOMEMADE APPLE PIE
Apple Pie Filling
Butter
Apples
Lemon juice
Dark brown sugar
Granulated sugar
Cinnamon
Cornstarch
Pie Crust
Flour
Shortening
Butter
Salt
Egg Wash
Egg
Milk
Coarse sugar
HOW TO PREPARE HOMEMADE APPLE PIE
Apple Pie Filling
Peel, cut in half, core, and slice the apples into chunks. Transfer the apple chunks into a large bowl.
Toss the apples with lemon juice, add the sugar, and toss to combine them.
In a large skillet, melt the butter and transfer the apple chunk mixture into the pan. Cook until almost soft.
In a small bowl, add cornstarch and water and mix until the cornstarch dissolves. Add the mixture to the apple filling and cook by stirring until soft for 4-5 minutes.
Remove from the heat, sprinkle with cinnamon. Set aside and cool completely.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Pie Crust
Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Add the cold shortening and cold butter.
Cut the shortening and butter into the mixture using a pastry cutter or two forks until it resembles a coarse meal. A few large bits of fat are ok.
Using very cold water (a water dispenser in the refrigerator is helpful), drizzle a tablespoon of the water around the crumb mixture at a time, stirring with a fork between additions. As the dough begins to form a ball, stop adding the water.
Divide the dough into two pieces. Using a rolling pin, roll a piece of dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle (at least 2 inches larger than the pie pan). Once the pie crust is rolled out, place it in the pie pan.
Arrange the crust to fit by tucking or cutting the edges next to the pie plate's edge. Leave a 1/2-inch overhang.
Add the cool filling to the pie crust and spread it with a spatula. Roll the other piece of dough into a 10-inch circle. Top the pie crust over the apple filling, pulling up the top and bottom crust together, pinching the dough under the edge of the bottom crust, and crimping the edges to seal.
Egg Wash
In a small bowl, using a fork, beat the egg and milk together until incorporated. Lightly brush the top of the pie with the egg wash and sprinkle the top with the coarse sugar.
Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow the pie to cool for 4-5 hours at room temperature before slicing.
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Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram | RSS
Looking for more recipes? Use the search bar in the top right-hand corner or click on My Recipe Box in the top menu.
Looking for more recipes? Use the search bar in the top right-hand corner or click on My Recipe Box in the top menu.
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