Apple Pie

Soft, flaky, and crusty double-sided pastry with sweet and juicy apples filled inside – that’s an apple pie for you. Making a pie involves four steps – making a dough, preparing the filling, partial cooking the pie crust, and finally cooking the apple pie. These steps are quite easy and the result is – an awesome and delicious pie. Try to use sweet and crunchy apples instead of soft and squashy ones. Granny Smith apples are considered the best for making an apple pie.

Ingredients

  • All Purpose Flour – 350 gms (2 and ½ cup)
  • Sugar – 1 and ½ tbsp (for Pie Crust)
  • Salt – 1 tsp (For Pie Crust)
  • Sugar – 2-3 tbsp (for Apples)
  • Brown Sugar – 2-3 tbsp (for Apples)
  • Apples – 3 (big) or 4 (small)
  • Butter cubes – 175 gms (Chilled – for Pie Crust)
  • Butter – 1 tbsp
  • Cinnamon Powder – 1 tsp
  • Nutmeg Powder – 1 tsp
  • Raisins – ¼ cup
  • Water – 1-2 tbsp (Chilled)

Method

Make the Pie Crust and Lattice Dough
  1. Take 350 gms flour in a big bowl.
  2. Add 1 and ½ tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt to the flour and mix well with a hand whisk.
  3. Take out the chilled butter from the refrigerator and cut into small cubes. If the butter has melted, keep the cubes again in the refrigerator to chill.
  4. Add the chilled butter cubes to the flour and rub gently with your fingertips. Keep rubbing the butter into the flour until the flour reaches a breadcrumb consistency.
  5. Take 1-2 tbsp chilled water, if required to form a soft dough. Do not use excess water.
  6. Divide the dough into two parts – one small (for Lattice) and one large (for Pie Crust).
  7. Wrap the dough in the cling films and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Prepare the Apples
  1. Take 3 big apples. Peel and core them and slice them into small cubes.
  2. Take a pan and put it on medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp of butter and let it melt. Add apple cubes, raisins, cinnamon and nutmeg powder. Mix everything well.
  3. Add white and brown sugar to the apples based on the sweetness of the apples.
  4. Let the apples cook for 4-5 minutes.
  5. The apples will leave the juice. Take out the cooked apples and let the juice simmer in the pan till it becomes thick (honey consistency).
Partially Cook the Pie Crust (Blind Baking)
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
  2. Take the large chunk of dough out of the refrigerator.
  3. Flour the surface and roll the dough in to a large circle. You can also roll the dough over the cling film or baking sheet.
  4. Once the dough has been rolled, wrap it on the rolling pin and transfer it to the pie dish. With very light fingers, press the dough sheet round the pie dish edges. (Do not press the dough on to the dish with heavy hands.)
  5. Dock the pie crust sheet with a fork lightly.
  6. Bake the pie crust for 5-7 minutes at 180°C.
Bake the Apple Pie
  1. While the pie crust is getting partially cooked, take out the smaller chunk of dough from the refrigerator and start rolling into a large circle.
  2. Take out the pie dish from the oven after 5-7 minutes.
  3. Maintain the oven temperature to 180°C.
  4. Pour the cooked apples into the pie crust and spread the thickened syrup over the apples.
  5. Cut the thin strips from the rolled dough sheet to make the lattice. Arrange the strips over the apples in a chequered fashion.
  6. Spread some of the remaining apples syrup over the strips for good browning.
  7. Place the pie dish in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes until the crust becomes brown.
  8. Once done, take the apple pie dish out of the oven and let it rest for 30-40 minutes.
  9. Once the pie has cooled down, cut out the slices and serve.