🍰 The best apple pie I ever had. A recipe. [EN]

Hello my lovely Steemies!

Pies are special. They taste good, they can be a wonderful gift and they let people come together. Everyone likes different kinds of pies and cakes. I am the rich and chocolaty type 😬

Last summer I wanted to make a traditional pie and looked into all kinds of different pie fillings. I decided to go with a strawberry rhubarb pie that I decorated with the typical checkered pattern that you see on pictures from the 50s. The pie turned out VERY good. 😃 I wasn't on Steemit yet back then but next time I will document the baking process - promise!

Come fall time I decided to go for an apple pie – not to toot my own horn.... but the apple pie turned out so great that I made it twice after that within such a short time.

This apple pie is pretty classic and the filling contains apples only. If you like raisins or nuts in your apple pie, feel free to add those ingredients into the filling as well.

Please let me know if you decide to try this recipe! I am looking forward to pictures of your pie and a post of your own 😃

Here is the recipe for my favorite apple pie:

Ingredients for 1 pie:

• 1 pie crust, cold
• ½ cup caramel sauce
• about 7-8 Granny Smith apples
• ¼ tsp cinnamon (or as desired)
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup sugar
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 beaten egg
• a little extra sugar for sanding

Ingredients for the caramel sauce:

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup water
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar

Ingredients for the pie crust:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ¾ cups very cold unsalted butter
• 4 tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 egg
• ½ cup very cold water

How to make the crust:

First we are going to prepare the pie crust. The crust can be made in advance, covered in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for about 3 days. I find that it is easier to roll out the pie crust when it is made the day before.

Combine flour, sugar and salt into a big mixing bowl. Add butter in smaller pieces and use either a fork or pastry cutter to mix everything together until the butter is cut into pea size pieces.
Beat the egg and add it to the mixing bowl. Now slowly add the water until the dough barely holds together when pressed in between two fingers. The dough is ready even if it seems a little dry and crumbly.

Form two equal sized discs and wrap it into plastic wrap. Cool immediately even if you are planning to use the dough right away! The dough should be chilled for at least an hour.

Preparing the caramel sauce:

Melt butter in a saucepan, carefully add the flour to form a roux or paste. Add the sugars and water. Stir and let the mixture simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes.

Making the caramel sauce

Caramel sauce

The pie filling:

Peel, core and slice the apples. The slices should be about 1/4 inch thick. Add sugars, cinnamon and flour to the apple slices and mix well.

Filling ready for the oven

The finishing of a masterpiece 😇

Pre-heat the oven to 425°F.
Butter a pie dish.
Dust your work surface well with flour. Roll out one of your cold dough discs. It should be rolled out into a round shape and a bit bigger than the pie dish. Try to work fast with the dough so it doesn’t get too warm. The little pieces of butter that can be seen in the rolled out dough should stay exactly like that 👍 This is what makes the crust nice and flaky when it’s done.

Cover the pie dish with the rolled out dough. Make sure to press it into the dish and don’t leave any air pockets between the dough and the dish. The dough should also be relaxed and not strechted out at all. Cut off the excess dough and leave about 1/2 inch hanging off the edge.

Add the apple filling. The pie dish will be pretty full with the filling but that is exactly what we want. Add all the apples as well as the juices that formed. Now sprinkle the caramel sauce onto the apple filling.
If the temperature in your kitchen is pretty warm, place the pie into the refrigerator for a few minutes.

Roll out the second half of your dough into a round shape and a little bit bigger than the pie dish. It should be about 1/4 in thick.
Cover the pie with the rolled out dough and cut off the excess dough. Leave a bit more this time to fold the top dough under the bottom dough and press together. The dough should not hang off of the pie dish. This way the pie filling is closed up and most likely won’t boil over in the oven.
Press the edges together with a fork to make a cute design and also keep the dough pressed together. You can also flute the edges if you prefer.

Beat the egg to make an egg wash and brush the top of your pie with the egg wash. Cut vents into the top of your pie to let the steam escape while baking. Otherwise you will end up with big bumps on top of your pie. 😉
Add a little sanding sugar to the top to give it a beautiful golden color. It caramelizes once baked.

Place the pie into the middle rack of the oven. Bake at 425°F for about 10-15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350°F and bake for another 30-45 minutes.
As a little tip from me to you: place a lined baking sheet below the pie in your oven. If anything boils over it will spill onto the baking sheet and not your oven 😉
If the crust browns too quickly on the edges you can form a pie shield from aluminum foil that only covers the edges of the pie.
The pie is done when the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.

Carefully take the pie out of the oven and let it cool down. It tastes best when it is still a bit warm. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream!

I hope you enjoyed this recipe! ❤️ Bon Appetit 😉

XOXO
TabeaLouise