Note from Wigs: I have been using my mom's ingredients for apple pie my entire life (with cinnamon only in the filling), but recently ran across an Internet recipe that piqued my curiosity due to its calling for several spices. At first read, I thought it sounded more like a pumpkin pie flavoring list of spices instead of ones for apple pie, but I decided to give it a go, and the outcome was delicious! My husband, his siblings + their spouses all loved this version as did I.
There are additional explanations & hints plus the authors' photos and their video can be found at the URL listed at the very end of this post. !!!
Makes one (9-inch) pie. (I used a 10" clear glass Pyrex pie plate and so increased my crust amounts to fit. Wigs)
www.inspiredtaste.net
4 to 4 ¼ pounds baking apples (7 to 8 apples). See notes below* for suggestions regarding types of apples (Before peeling and coring, I weighed out 4-1/2 lbs of a variety of apples--primarily Jonathans. Wigs)
1/2 cup (100 grams) light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar (I used a heaping 3/4 cup of granulated sugar. Wigs)
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons cornstarch or use 4 tablespoons tapioca flour/starch (I used 4 Tbsp tapioca flour. Wigs)
1 tablespoon butter
1 egg (Instead of an egg wash on my top crust, I brushed mine with whole milk--or half & half would work well. Wigs)
Wigs: I also sprinkled my sliced apples with 1-1/2 Tbsp. of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
MAKE APPLE FILLING
There are additional explanations & hints plus the authors' photos and their video can be found at the URL listed at the very end of this post. !!!
Our Favorite Apple Pie
- PREP 1hr 30mins
- COOK 1hr 15 mins
- TOTAL 2hr 45mins
How to Make Perfect Homemade Apple Pie
It’s taken us a while to zero in on our favorite method for making apple pie, but I think we’ve finally nailed it. This simple recipe guarantees perfectly cooked apples surrounded with a thick gently spiced sauce. There’s no need for pre-cooking the sauce or apples and the steps to make this pie are simple, you just need a little time.Makes one (9-inch) pie. (I used a 10" clear glass Pyrex pie plate and so increased my crust amounts to fit. Wigs)
YOU WILL NEED
Pie dough for top and bottom 9-inch pie, chilled, see our Flaky Pie Crust Recipe Note from Wigs: I have not tried the Inspired Taste pie crust yet, but plan to in the future. It's at:
Easy Flaky Butter Pie Crust
This is the best pie crust recipe I've ever used! See how to make our flaky butter pie crust that makes consistent pie dough every time.
www.inspiredtaste.net
4 to 4 ¼ pounds baking apples (7 to 8 apples). See notes below* for suggestions regarding types of apples (Before peeling and coring, I weighed out 4-1/2 lbs of a variety of apples--primarily Jonathans. Wigs)
1/2 cup (100 grams) light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar (I used a heaping 3/4 cup of granulated sugar. Wigs)
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons cornstarch or use 4 tablespoons tapioca flour/starch (I used 4 Tbsp tapioca flour. Wigs)
1 tablespoon butter
1 egg (Instead of an egg wash on my top crust, I brushed mine with whole milk--or half & half would work well. Wigs)
Wigs: I also sprinkled my sliced apples with 1-1/2 Tbsp. of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
MAKE APPLE FILLING
- Peel, and then cut the apples in half. Remove the cores, and then slice apple halves into thin slices, about 1/4-inch thick. Place the apple slices into a very large bowl.
Scatter both sugars, salt, and spices over the apples, and then use your hands to toss them, coating the apple slices as much as possible. Set aside for 1 hour at room temperature.
- Roll out the first half of pie dough on a lightly floured work surface. To prevent the dough from sticking and to ensure uniform thickness, roll from the center of the dough outwards and keep lifting up and turning the dough a quarter turn as you roll. Check for the correct size by inverting the pie dish over the dough. The dough should be about 1 1/2 to 2 inches larger than the dish.
Being careful not to stretch it, place the dough into the pie dish, and then trim overhanging dough to within 3/4-inch of the edge of the dish. Refrigerate while you make the pie filling.
Roll out the second half of the dough to a similar size as before and transfer it to a large parchment-lined baking sheet. Keep this in the refrigerator until needed.
- Position an oven rack towards the center of the oven, and then heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200C). (I bake my fruit pies at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes and then turn down the temp to 350 degrees F for the remaining bake time of anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 hour or possibly a bit longer--until you see the juices bubbling and the top crust is a nice golden brown. If your pie is browning too quickly, but the apples aren't done yet, just cover the top with some aluminum foil. Wigs)
- Toss cornstarch (or tapioca) with the apples. Transfer most (if not all) of the apples into the prepared bottom crust, using your hands to really pack them down into the pie. Fill the pie until apples are mounded at the same height or a little higher as the edge of the pie crust, tucking in as many as you can. If you have too many apples, save them (see notes). See our video showing how high we pile the apples.
Pour the juices that have accumulated at the bottom of the bowl over the apples. (If it looks like there’s more than 3/4 to 1 cup of liquid, you might want to leave some behind, see notes below). Cut a tablespoon of butter into 8 or so small pieces and dot them over the pie.
For a double-crust pie, place the second pie dough round over the filling or cut it into strips and lattice the top (See our video in the article above or read this tutorial for how to lattice pie crust). If you are not adding a lattice crust and instead are adding the top crust in one piece, use a sharp knife to cut a few slits in the top of the crust to allow steam to vent.
Trim excess dough from the top crust or lattice strips, and then fold the overhang underneath itself, forming a thick rim. Press it together or crimp it with your fingers (or use a fork).
Whisk the egg with a tablespoon of water, and then use it as an egg wash by lightly brushing the top crust. This adds shine and helps the crust brown.
- Place the prepared pie onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (this can be the same lined baking sheet used for chilling the top crust). Bake the pie for about 75 minutes, turning a few times for even browning.
If you notice that the pie crust is browning too quickly, mold a large piece of foil over a bowl that’s been placed upside down to make a foil dome. Place the foil dome over the pie for the remaining bake time. This will slow the browning.
Apple pie is done when the juices are bubbling through the vents of the top crust or lattice. If you do not see bubbles, the pie needs more time. Another way to check for doneness is to use an internal thermometer. Pierce the pie in the middle then test the temperature. The pie is done when it reads 195 degrees Fahrenheit (90C). Piercing the pie is also a nice indication of how soft the apples are. If they feel too crunchy, the pie needs more time.
- Be sure to cool the pie, without slicing into it, for at least 1 hour, preferably longer. Keep in mind that the pie filling does not fully thicken until it is completely cooled. So, for the absolute best results, cool the pie to room temperature, and then place it into the refrigerator for an hour or two.
Waiting to cut into the pie until cool will prevent a soggy slice.
- Leftover pie will keep, at room temperature, for 2 to 3 days or in the refrigerator up to a week. Rewarm slices in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 5 to 10 minutes before serving them.
- Best apples to use: For the most apple flavor, try a couple varieties of apples in your pie. We especially love Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Jonagold, Braeburn, Mutsu, Pink Lady, Golden Delicious, and Jazz
- Leftover apples: Sometimes, not all the apples we sliced make it into our pie. That’s okay, though! To use them up, add them to a skillet with a splash of water, apple juice, or nothing at all and cook until softened. A little butter or coconut oil added to the pan is also quite delicious! Serve the apples over ice cream or oatmeal.
- Liquid amount: After 1 hour of letting the apples sit with the sugar, salt, and spices, we consistently get about 3/4 cup of liquid left at the bottom of the bowl. A little more or a little less is fine, but if you find that your apples released much more, you might want to consider leaving a little behind. (When apples are overripe, they can release more liquid than usual, which can make your pie a bit more runny.)
- Recipe has been inspired and adapted by Bravetart’s apple pie.
- !!! The original full apple pie recipe post can be found on Inspired Taste's URL here: Our Favorite Apple Pie
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