American · Dessert · Medium
Apple Pie
Flaky golden crust wrapped around tender cinnamon-spiced apples, the all-American dessert that fills the kitchen with the smell of fall. Best served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting over the top.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Apple Pie, in 5 ideas
- Mix two apple varieties: a tart one like Granny Smith plus a sweet one like Honeycrisp gives the best flavor and texture.
- Slice the apples uniformly, about 1/4 inch thick, so they cook evenly and none stay crunchy.
- Mounding the filling high is fine: apples shrink as they bake, so pile them up.
- The two-temperature bake gives a crisp browned crust without overbaking the fruit.
- If the edges brown too fast, cover the rim with strips of aluminum foil halfway through baking.
What you need
Ingredients
- 2 pie crusts (one 9-inch bottom, one for the top)
- 6 cups thinly sliced peeled apples (about 6 medium Granny Smith or Honeycrisp)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon milk (for egg wash)
How to make it
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 C). Fit the bottom pie crust into a 9-inch pie dish, letting the excess hang over the edge.
- In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with lemon juice, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until every slice is coated.
- Pile the apple mixture into the crust, mounding it slightly in the center. Dot the top with the small pieces of butter.
- Lay the second crust over the filling. Trim, fold, and crimp the edges to seal, then cut 4 or 5 slits in the top for steam.
- Brush the top crust with the egg wash and bake for 20 minutes at 425 F, then reduce the heat to 375 F (190 C) and bake 30 to 35 minutes more, until deep golden and bubbling.
- Cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing so the filling sets.
Buy bagged apples in bulk when they go on sale in the fall and freeze extra slices; frozen apples work perfectly in pie and cost a fraction of off-season prices.