← Nouns Cooking · American

Ingredients

• 300 g plain flour
• ¾ tsp Salt
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 225 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 8 tbsp iced water, plus more if needed
• 1.4 kg tart baking apples such as Granny Smith (about 7), peeled, cored and sliced 5 mm thick
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 100 g Sugar
• 50 g Brown sugar
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 2 tbsp Cornflour (cornstarch)
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• ¼ tsp Nutmeg
• ¼ tsp Allspice (optional)
• ¼ tsp Salt
• 2 tbsp Butter, diced
• 1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp coarse or demerara sugar

Method

1. Whisk the flour, salt and sugar together. Rub or cut in the cold butter until most of it is in pea-sized pieces. Sprinkle over the iced water a tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork, until the dough holds together when squeezed.
2. Divide into two discs, one slightly larger, wrap and chill for 1 hour.
3. Toss the apples with the lemon juice, both sugars, flour, cornflour, spices and salt. Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F) with a baking tray on the lowest shelf.
4. Roll the larger disc into a 30 cm circle and line a 23 cm pie dish. Pile in the apples, mounding them high in the middle, and dot with the butter.
5. Roll out the second disc, lay it over the top, trim and crimp the edges to seal, and cut 4 or 5 steam vents. Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar and chill for 15 min.
6. Set the pie on the hot tray and bake for 20 min, then lower the oven to 190°C (375°F) and bake for 45–50 min more, until deep golden and the juices bubble thickly through the vents. Cover the edges with foil if they brown too fast.
7. Cool on a rack for at least 2 hours, so the filling sets and slices cleanly. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Tips

• Mix in a couple of sweeter apples, such as Braeburn or Honeycrisp, for a more complex flavour.
• Don’t cut it hot: the filling needs time to thicken, or it will run all over the plate.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

King Arthur Baking RecipeTin Eats