There's nothing quite like the sweet aroma of a freshly baked apple pie wafting through your home. A classic dessert, apple pie symbolizes comfort, warmth, and nostalgia. The beauty of this iconic dish lies in its simplicity, yet the process of achieving that perfect blend of flavors can feel like an art. This article will guide you through mastering the art of a homemade apple pie, including the best apples to use and helpful tips and tricks for the home baker.

Choosing the Right Apples

Choosing the right apples can make or break your apple pie. For pies, you want apples that hold their shape and don't turn into mush when baked. Granny Smith apples are a popular choice due to their tart flavor and firm texture. They provide a nice contrast to the sweet filling. Other great options include Honeycrisp, Braeburn, and Northern Spy. A combination of different apple varieties can also add layers of flavor to your pie.

Preparing Your Apples

When preparing your apples, peeling is a must, as apple skins can become tough when baked. Coring and slicing your apples uniformly ensures even cooking. A little lemon juice can prevent your apple slices from browning too quickly.

The Perfect Pie Crust

The foundation of a great apple pie lies in its crust. The key to a flaky, tender crust is keeping everything cold. Use cold butter, cold water, and even chill your flour if you can. Don't overwork your dough, as this can lead to a tough crust.

The Filling

For the filling, balance your flavors. Too much sugar can make your pie overly sweet and mask the taste of the apples. Cinnamon is a classic spice in apple pie, but don't be afraid to experiment with others like nutmeg or cardamom for a unique twist.

Baking Your Pie

The final step, baking, requires patience. Bake your pie in the lower third of your oven to ensure a crispy bottom crust. Use a pie shield or some aluminum foil to prevent the edges of your crust from burning.

Tips and Tricks for the Best Apple Pie

Pre-cook your apples: Pre-cooking your apples can help reduce the gap that sometimes forms between the filling and the top crust.
Add a thickener: Apples release juice as they cook. Adding a thickener like flour, cornstarch, or tapioca can help prevent a soggy bottom.
Egg wash: Brushing your pie crust with an egg wash will give you a beautifully golden and glossy finish.
Cool before slicing: Let your pie cool completely before slicing to allow the filling to set.

Mastering the art of apple pie is a journey. It's about experimenting and finding what works best for you. But with these tips and tricks in mind, you're well on your way to creating a homemade apple pie that's nothing short of blissful. Happy baking!

Recipe for double pie crust:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more to dust, *measured correctly

1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 lb COLD unsalted butter, (2 sticks) diced into 1/4" pieces

7 Tbsp ice water, (7 to 8 Tbsp)

Instructions:

Place flour, sugar and salt into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine.

Add cold diced butter and pulse the mixture until coarse crumbs form with some pea-sized pieces then stop mixing. Mixture should remain dry and powdery.

Add 7 Tbsp ice water and pulse just until moist clumps or small balls form. Press a piece of dough between your finger tips and if the dough sticks together, you have added enough water. If not, add more water a teaspoon full at a time. Be careful not to add too much water or the dough will be sticky and difficult to roll out.

Transfer dough to a clean work surface, and gather dough together into a ball (it should not be smooth and DO NOT knead the dough). Divide dough in half and flatten to form 2 disks. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour before using in recipes that call for pie crust.

Recipe for apple filling:

2 1/4 lbs Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored 6-7 apples (7 cups thinly sliced)

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

8 Tbsp unsalted butter

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1/4 cup water

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg , + 1 Tbsp water, for egg wash

Instructions

Make the pie crust recipe and chill per instructions while preparing the filling. Preheat oven to 425˚F.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in 3 Tbsp flour then simmer for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Whisk in 1/4 cup water, 1 cup sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and continue simmering 3 minutes, whisking frequently then remove from heat.

Peel, remove cores and thinly slice 7 cups of apples and place them in a large bowl. Sprinkle the top with 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon and toss to combine. Pour the sauce over the apples and stir to coat the apple slices.

Sprinkle your work surface with flour and roll out bottom pie crust to a 12" diameter circle. Wrap it around your rolling pin to transfer it to the 9" pie plate. Add apple mixture, mounding slightly in the center and being careful not to get the filling on the edges which would make it difficult to seal.

Roll second crust into an 11" round and cut into 10 even thickness strips using a pizza cutter. Arrange strips in a woven lattice pattern over the top (see video tutorial). Beat together 1 egg and 1 Tbsp water and brush the top with egg mixture.

Bake at 425˚F in the center of the oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350˚F and continue baking another 45 minutes or until apples are soft and filling is bubbling through the vents.* Rest at room temp 1 hour before serving.

Bite into Bliss: Mastering the Art of a Homemade Apple Pie.