Hello Bakers,
It’s just under seven weeks until Thanksgiving - I know we haven’t even gotten to Halloween but it might be fun to practice pies over the next several weeks so that we are in shape for Thanksgiving Pie Baking. It is a baking and cooking marathon after all and we need to train. Also, Thanksgiving is early this year, November 22.
Now forgive me because my last blog post also starred apples. I am hoping that you won’t mind too much.
This pie is super classic and because the filling is cooked it doesn’t have any pasty flour flavor. The foundation of this recipe came from my grandmother’s cookbook - she was an cook and would have been a chef if that had been possible for her. The recipe comes from the Antoinette Pope school of Fine Cookery - it was a cooking school in Chicago from the 1930s -1960s. Here is the book. She took every class they offered. I first made the book version of this pie when I was 10.
This was the last edition - I have her 1940s edition too but it is falling apart….
Since then the recipe has been tweaked a little - the original had all white sugar for one thing and it was light on the spice. Speaking of spice…one thing that you might not know is that cinnamon is a thickener and that is one of the reasons (besides flavor) that it is so often used in pie fillings.
I am including last year’s flaky pie dough tutorial here so that if you want to review you don’t have to go looking for it.
My plan is to post a great pie recipe every week’s before Thanksgiving - practice, make your dough ahead - let’s keep the stress to a minimum.
Here are three tips for pretty pies:
Line a baking sheet with foil, place it in the oven when you go to preheat the oven for your pie - the pie hitting a hot pan helps ensure a nice bottom crust. Use your oven mitts and be careful.
Chill the dough lined pan at least 2 hours before filling and baking. This will help the edges retain their shape.
If you have a lot of pies to bake, you can line the pans head of time, stack them with a square of parchment paper in between so that they don’t stick. Wrap and freeze for up to one month.
Flaky Pie Crust
Yield: Enough dough for two 10” pie crusts - if there your pie pans are smaller there will be a little leftover dough, which can be frozen or cut into 1” strips, tossed in cinnamon sugar and baked.
16 ounces (454g) of unbleached all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon, 1/2 ounce (15g) sugar
1 teaspoons, (6g) salt
5 ounces (170g) butter - cubed and chilled
102g shortening - chilled or frozen if possible
4g (1 teaspoon) apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
Yield: Enough dough for three pie crusts
16 ounces (454g) of unbleached all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon, 1/2 ounce (15g) sugar
1 teaspoons, (6g) salt
5 ounces (170g) butter - cubed and chilled
102g shortening - chilled or frozen if possible
4g (1 teaspoon) apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
150g plus extra ice cold water ***please weigh this out and pour off the ice. Ice in the water will throw off the weight
Place the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl.
Add the chilled butter. Using a bowl scraper or pastry blender, cut in the butter until it looks like corn flakes, lightly coated with flour.
Sprinkle the apple cider vinegar on the butter and flour mixture.
Add the shortening and cut it in too - even frozen it will break down quickly. The pieces of both butter and shortening should be uniform in size and be about the size of peas.
Sprinkle the 150g of cold water on top of the mixture. As shown in the video, begin to fold the water into the dough - working from the side of the bowl and "folding and mashing it" into the center. Do this until the dough is a semi cohesive mass. Check for dryness on the bottom of the bowl - add water if necessary (1 tablespoon at a time) - drizzling it around the side of the bowl and then use the bowl scraper to work it through the dough - check again.
Once the dough is a cohesive mass and you can lift it off the bottom of the bowl and there is no residual flour - dump it out onto your work surface. Shape into a flat disk (about 1/2 inch thick), wrap in plastic wrap and chill for a minimum of one hour. If making the night before or freezing, wrap in plastic wrap
Streusel Topping
Yield: 2 1/2 cups, 19 ounces or 539g
Equipment: Stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Ingredients:
Streusel (aka Crumb Topping) in the mixer, ready to go
8 ounces (227g) All purpose flour
2 ounces (57g) Granulated sugar
3 ounces (85g) Brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
6 ounces butter (170g) cubed and chilled
Combine all ingredients, except butter, in the mixer bowl
Turn the mixer onto speed 1 and mix the dry ingredients together for 30 seconds.
Stop the mixer and distribute the butter onto top of the dry ingredients.
Mix on low speed to medium low speed, pulsing the mixer on and off until the mixture looks like coarse meal and there are no visible chunks of butter visible.
See the butter chucks - this needs a little more mixing
This is what it should look like when finished
Left over streusel can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week or frozen up to one month. It’s great to have on hand to top muffins or coffee cake.
Apple Filling:
Equipment: Large Saute Pan, Heat proof Spatula, Half sheet tray lined with parchment for cooling down apples
Ingredients:
7-8 Medium Sized Apples - 6 if they are large. I used a combination of Granny Smith and Golden Delicious. Peel, core and cut into 16 chunks. I used an apple corer to get even slices and then cut the slices in half - cut them into thirds if the are large. I prefer chunks over slices because they tend to hold there shape after baking. It makes for a nice presentation. Also don’t drop the apples in water - they will soak it up like a sponge - just toss the apple chucks in the lemon juice. It is ok if they are brown a little - they will be cooked.
If you have an apple corer, this is a good time to use it. Sometimes the ends need to be trimmed but tha can be done when you are cutting the apple slices in half.
Juice of one lemon
Apple Filling Mise en Place - I had already tossed the apples with the lemon juice
2 Tablespoons, 1 ounce, (28g) Unsalted butter
2 ounces (71g) Granulated sugar
2 1/2 ounces (57g) Brown Sugar
3/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
1 ounce Cornstarch
2 ounces Cold water
1. Toss the apples in lemon juice and combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and set aside.
2. butter over medium - high heat, add apples, toss in butter and cook for a few minutes until they stop looking raw. (3-4 minutes).
3. Add both sugars and spices. Cook for 2 to 3 more minutes, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved and the apples are well coated with the apples and the spices.
4. Reduce heat, and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Let the apples release some of their juices.
5. Mix the cornstarch and water together one more time before adding to the apple mixture - stir until the mixture thickens. Once the apples are well coated, remove from heat and dump onto parchment lined 1/2 sheet tray. Scrape the pan well. Let cool until room temperature.
Assembling and Baking the Pie
Ready to bake. Don’t pack the streusel too hard - leave a little space for the apples to breathe.
Remove chilled dough from the refrigerator.
Sprinkle 1/4 cup, 2 ounces of streusel on the bottom of the pie shell.
Pour apple filling into the pie shell and top with streusel topping. Not too much not too little.
Place pie on preheated baking sheet and bake at 375 for 25 minutes, then reduce to 350. If the top of the pie is getting too dark, cover lightly with a piece of foil, shiny side down.
Continue to bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. My pie took 60 minutes. You might have to adjust the time for your oven but for the pie to fully bake. it will need to be in the oven at least 45 minutes.