Introducing: Sam’s signature apple pie! This recipe is the result of some experimental baking we did around thanksgiving.
It was a hit with our family and we hope it will be in yours as well!
Here’s what you’ll need:
For the filling
½ cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup water
½ cup white sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
6 small apples of your choice, peeled and chopped
For the crust
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 ¼ cups butter, chilled
1 egg
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425° F.
In a saucepan, melt the butter at medium heat. Add the flour and stir to form a paste. Add the water, white sugar and brown sugar, and raise the heat to bring to a boil. Watch this closely because it is easy to burn. Once your mixture is at a boil, reduce the temperature to very low and let it simmer. It is done when it has a thick, syrupy consistency.
While that is simmering, peel and dice your apples. Put them into a large bowl and add the cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
To make the crust, start by whisking together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Then cut the butter into small cubes and gradually mix it into the flour mixture until it has a fine, crumbly texture.
Whisk together an egg, the apple cider vinegar and water. Add this to the dry mixture and gently mix with a fork until the dough comes together. Be careful not to over mix!
This is a good time to check your sugar mixture. Give it a mix and check the texture. If it is thick and syrupy you can take it off the heat and let it cool. If it is still watery, let it simmer for a little longer.
As soon as your dough is formed, take it out of the bowl and place it on a floured service. You can double check here that all the ingredients are blended. If they are not, you can mix it slightly more with your hands.
This is enough dough for both the bottom and top of the pie. Separate it into two equal sized amounts and set one aside for later.
Roll one ball of the dough out and place it in the pie dish, ensuring there are no spots that are too thin or have holes. This is a very finicky process so take your time! It took us a couple tries.
Now you can place your spiced apples in the pie dish, making a mound shape.
Now we’re onto the lattice. Roll out the second ball of dough, slightly thinner than you rolled the pie crust. Simply slice the dough into long strips and place them over the apples in a criss-cross pattern. If you would like a photo to reference, we put one below.
Give the sugar mixture that has been simmering Very carefully pour the mixture that has been simmering on top of the pie. We tried to cover as much of the lattice as possible, while also ensuring that a good amount of the mixture had dripped onto the apples.
That’s it! Bake at 425° F for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, or until apples are soft.