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Prep time
2 hours
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Cook time
1 hour 15 minutes
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Makes
1 (9- to 10-inch) pie
Author Notes
When I was in high school, TGI Friday's opened in New Orleans. I had lunch there with my Aunt Martha (who also owned a restaurant—I know this seems crazy, but chains like TGI Friday's were a new thing in the 1970s and seemed kind of cool). She and I both loved their apple strudel pie and asked for the recipe—which they gave us! I've made that pie nearly every Thanksgiving since then (and for other occasions as well—it's my stepson's favorite dessert). I no longer have the original recipe, but I do have a 5x3-inch butter-stained card entitled "My Apple Pie," probably my first foray in adapting recipes to my taste. I honestly have no idea what I changed, except that ever since I made mrslarkin's Truly Scrumptious Apple Pie, I've always used at least three different varieties of apples. This is my go-to fall pie recipe, and with the possible exception of my white cookies, it is my most-requested dessert. I like an all-butter crust, but use what you like.
The original recipe had a super sweet filling and crumb topping. I recently altered the recipe, borrowing the topping from Alice Medrich's No-Peel Apple Crisp. I prefer the pie less sweet, and love the crunchy topping. —drbabs
Test Kitchen Notes
This pie is beautiful, delicious, and pretty much as easy as pie gets. Its simple crust and classic autumn spices pair perfectly with the nutty-oat crumble topping. I used a mix of Macs and Honeycrisps to make this pie and got great flavor without a saucy mess. This pie doesn't reinvent anything, but is a great execution of a traditional dish. And aren't traditions what the holidays are all about? —Katherine Perry
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Open-Faced Deep-Dish Apple Pie
Ingredients
- Crust
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1 cup
all-purpose or white whole-wheat flour
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1/2 cup
unsalted butter, very cold and cut into cubes
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1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
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1/4 cup
ice water
- Filling, Topping, and Assembly
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6
large apples (I like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Fuji)
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1 cup
light brown sugar, divided
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1/2 cup
plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided, plus more for the surface
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1 1/2 teaspoons
ground cinnamon, divided
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3/4 teaspoon
ground nutmeg, divided
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1/4 teaspoon
plus 1 pinch kosher salt, divided
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1 cup
chopped toasted walnuts
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1/2 cup
rolled oats
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4 tablespoons
unsalted butter, melted
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1/4 to 1/2 cups
turbinado sugar, optional
Directions
- Crust
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In a food processor, pulse the flour, butter, and salt until the mixture forms small pebbles. Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing a couple of times after each tablespoon, until the dough just starts to gather into a large ball.
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On a work surface, form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Filling, Topping, and Assembly
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Heat oven to 400°F. Peel and slice the apples ¼ inch thick. Transfer to a large bowl. Add ½ cup of the brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of the flour, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of the nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Toss until well combined.
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On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a circle about 12 inches across. Arrange the dough in a 9- or 10-inch pie pan with at least 1-inch-high sides (higher is better, but use what you have). Crimp the edges if you're feeling fancy. Place the pie plate on a large cookie sheet (trust me on this one) and pile the apple mixture into the pan—you will have a fairly tall mountain of apples.
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In a medium bowl, combine the walnuts, oats, butter, and the remaining ½ cup of the flour, ½ cup of the brown sugar, ½ teaspoon of the cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon of the nutmeg, and pinch of the salt. Cover the apples with the topping as completely as possible. Sprinkle the topping with the turbinado sugar, if using.
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Place the cookie sheet with the pie on top into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue to bake for 60 to 75 minutes, until the topping is well-browned. Let cool on a wire rack before serving.
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