Author Notes
I like pie. I especially like pie with different textures. This one’s got a bit of applesauce-y smoothness on the bottom and some firmer sliced apples on top. I’ve baked this pie using a glass-bottomed 10" springform pan lined with parchment, and a plain old 10" pie dish, with equally successful results. Okay, maybe getting the pie dough into the springform pan was a little unwieldy, but I love my springform pan a lot. You could also use a 9” wide, 2” high cake/quiche ring, baking it right on a parchment-lined sheet pan. It’s a very delicious pie. And it’s less filling because there is no top crust. So you can eat twice as much. Adapted from my recipe for Truly Scrumptious Apple Pie, here in the Food52 archives. —mrslarkin
Ingredients
- for the pie dough (makes two rounds, or divide recipe in half for one round)
-
2 1/2 cups
all-purpose unbleached flour
-
1 teaspoon
kosher salt
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10 tablespoons
unsalted butter, chilled
-
5 tablespoons
vegetable shortening, chilled
-
1/2 to 2/3 cups
ice water
- for the pie
-
6
apples, divided (I like to use McIntosh for the chopped apples, and a firmer variety for the sliced)
-
3/4 cup
granulated sugar
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1/4 cup
all-purpose flour
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1/4 teaspoon
cinnamon
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1/4 teaspoon
nutmeg
-
fresh lemon juice
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heavy cream, for brushing on the crust
-
turbinado sugar, for sprinkling on the crust
Directions
- for the pie dough (makes two rounds, or divide recipe in half for one round)
-
In a food processor, pulse the flour and salt. Add the butter and shortening, and pulse until pea-sized pieces of butter remain. Dump flour mixture into a large mixing bowl. With a fork, gently fold in the ice water, starting with 3 tablespoons of water. Add more water until dough begins to clump together. Divide dough into two 6” rounds. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator.
- for the pie
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Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
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Mix sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
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Peel, core and finely chop 4 apples. I stick the apples right into the food processor and pulse several times. Transfer chopped apples to a bowl. Toss with 2 teaspoons lemon juice. Mix with 2/3 of the sugar mixture. Set aside.
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Peel, core and slice the two remaining apples. I usually get 16 slices per apple. Toss with 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Mix gently with remaining sugar mixture. Set aside.
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Roll out pie dough to a 14” circle. Transfer to baking pan of choice. (see header) For the unused dough portion, wrap it well and freeze it for another pie day.
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Spread chopped apples on pastry, leaving at least a 3” border. In a circular pattern, lay the apple slices on top of the chopped apples. Drape and fold over the edges of the pastry onto the apples. Brush the exposed crust with heavy cream and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
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Alternatively, you can trim, crimp and flute the pie dough. I skip this step, and simply fold over the pastry, and end up with a beautifully crisp golden crust all around the pie.
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Bake for 50 minutes, until the apples are bubbly and crust is golden-brown.
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Serve warm or room temperature with whipped cream, ice cream, a dollop of creme fraiche, or a hunk of really good sharp cheddar.
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