MASTERING THE BEST APPLE PIE

There are endless apple pie recipes available on the web and the world doesn’t need another one. But what the world might need is a very detailed look at apple pie execution and a guide to mastering it.

I have made apple pie after apple pie in the last few weeks in order to prepare for this article. I have read numerous apple pie recipes and tips and consulted all of the experts I could think of. And today, I am here to challenge you to Master the Best Apple Pie as the October Mastering Challenge!

Now you might be thinking to yourself, “Doesn’t the best apple pie start with the apples?”. The answer is no, it does not. Pie crust is absolute key to good apple pie, or any pie really. Yes, the apples are extremely important, and we will get there, but the crust is what we are mastering first.

In my journey to mastering the best apple pie, I got a little side tracked with crust. I hadn’t considered how vast the topic was until I started writing about it for the pie and realized it needed its own article dedicated to it.

If you are a little shaky with your pie crust making skills, I highly suggest heading over to my Complete Guide for How to Make Pie Crust. I guarantee it will increase your crust making confidence and set you up thoroughly for making this pie!

INGREDIENTS

•  2 1/2 cups (10.6 oz, 297 gr) all-purpose flour
•  1 tsp kosher salt
•  10 TBSP (5 oz, 140 gr) unsalted butter, cold
•  1/4 cup (1.8 oz, 50 gr) shortening or lard, cold
•  4-8 TBSP ice water
•  3 1/2 pounds (1.1 kg, about 8 medium-large) variety of apples, (*see notes for variety recommendations)

•  1/3 cup (2.3 oz, 65 gr) granulated sugar
•  1/3 cup (2.5 oz, 70 gr) brown sugar (light or dark brown, I prefer dark brown for more molasses flavor

•  1 TP (0.5 fl oz, 15 ml) lemon juice
•  1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (or less if you want a more mild cinnamon flavor)

 pinch of cardamom, clove, allspice, and/or nutmeg (*optional, see notes)

•  1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
•  3 TBSP (1.5 oz, 42 gr) unsalted butter
•  3 TBSP (1.1 oz, 30 gr) cornstarch (also known as cornflour)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare the dough for the crust:
2. Before starting your crust, cut your butter into small 1/2″ pieces and place it in the freezer to get very cold for about 15 minutes while you organize the rest of your ingredients.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the shortening to the bowl and use a pastry cutter or a fork to cut the fat through the flour until it is evenly distributed in pea size pieces.
4. .........................................

for full instruction please see : bakerbettie.com

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