Timeless Apple Pie: Relive Nostalgia with Every Bite
This classic apple pie is easier to make than you might think. This is definitely something everyone needs in their recipe arsenal!
Ingredients
- Double Crust Pie Pastry store bought is also fine
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- ⅔ cup + 2 tablespoons shortening room temperature;
- I prefer butter flavored but either works; look for it in sticks
- ½ cup ice water
- Pie
- 6 cups apples Granny Smith, sliced about 1 ½ pounds
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon*
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg* *
- The cinnamon and nutmeg can be replaced with ¾ teaspoon apple pie or pumpkin pie spice
- 2 tablespoons cold butter chopped
Instructions
- Double Crust
- If using store bought crust, skip to "Pie Assembly". Ensure shortening is at room temperature.
- Combine flour and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Add shortening in small cubes. Cut in shortening until you get pieces that are about pea-sized. Start sprinkling the ice water by about a tablespoon at a time over the flour/shortening mixture. Very, very gently, turn the dough with your fingers so it gets exposed to the water. You’re not mixing, just trying to moisten all of the flour/shortening mixture. Gradually, all of the flour mixture will be moistened.
- Gently pat the dough into a ball (it should come together easily but not be sticky). Wrap in plastic wrap and keep in the fridge until you’re ready to use. When ready to use, handle as little as possible according to recipe directions.
- Pie Assembly
- Roll half of the pastry to ⅛" thickness on a surface that's been sprayed with cooking spray. Gently place in a 9" pie plate; set aside.
- Preheat your oven to 450℉. Combine lemon juice and apples in a large bowl. Combine white sugar, brown sugar, flour, and spices and mix well. Spoon over apple mixture, tossing gently. Spoon filling evenly into pastry shell and dot with chopped butter.
- Roll remaining pie crust 1/8" thick. For ideas on how to top your crust, see this post; includes instructions on how to make a lattice crust.
- When your top is how you want it, bake at 450℉ for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350℉ and bake 50 minutes more. Definitely keep an eye on the pie; you may need to loosely cover the darker parts with aluminum foil if it starts getting too brown. If you get worried, go ahead and make a square of foil, cut a center out of the foil, and place it on the pie so the foil covers the edge of the pie.
- When done, remove from oven and allow to stand. The pie will be runny until it cools completely, but warm pie is never a wrong choice. Serve with ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.
Notes
- While the sugar and lemon juice in the pie will help slow any bacterial growth and the pie would be ok at room temperature for a couple of days, it's best to store the cooled pie, tightly covered, in the refrigerator and consume within about 4 days.
- To reheat a whole pie, place it in a preheated 350°F oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until warmed through.
- Can I freeze my apple pie? Yes. You can wrap a baked and cooled pie in two layers of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil and freeze for up to 3 months. You can also freeze your un-cooked assembled pie in the same manner. When it's time to bake, remove all wrappings and bake from frozen. Expect additional baking time for a frozen pie.