The Classic Thanksgiving: Apple Pie

Thanksgiving and apple pie go hand in hand. When I was thinking about my favorite things we eat on Thanksgiving, I thought about how every year, without fail, we would have an apple pie. I’ve always LOVED making pie, as it’s probably the most therapeutic thing you could ever make. The filling for this pie was inspired by Erin McDowell’s apple pie for NYT Cooking. What I loved about this recipe is that while it is super decadent, it keeps the tartness of the apples. I also love that the filling can be used for many other things, even on its own! 

Ingredients

For the dough:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tbsp sugar

2 sticks cold butter

1/4 cup ice water

Filling:

5-6 apples (I love using honey crisp apples, but honestly any apple would work well)

1/4 stick of butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp allspice 

1 tbsp flour

1 egg - for egg wash

Turbinado sugar - for garnishing

Directions

Making the dough:

Start by making the dough because you want to give it enough time in the fridge. Mix the flour and sugar together. Dice the butter into small cubes and mix it with the flour (I usually pinch the cubes of butter in my fingers to make them smaller and you eventually get a grainy texture where there aren’t any chunks of butter left). Add the water a little at a time, mixing it until it forms a dough. It’s important to note that its much better to have a wet and stickier dough as opposed to a dry one. Cut the dough in half and make two found patties, about 2 inches thick. Doing this will make it easier to roll out the dough. Individually wrap the patties of dough in plastic wrap and put in the fridge for at least 30 mins. 

Making the filling:

Start by peeling and dicing the apples into 1 inch chunks. Melt the butter in a pot on low heat and add the apples. Stirring occasionally, let the apples cook down and soften, about 5 mins. Add the spices and mix. At this point, liquid should be rendering out of the apples and that is a sign that you can add the flour and sugar. Mix together the flour and sugar before adding it to the apples because it prevents the flour from clumping up. Mix everything together. The mixture should thicken and turn into a caramel-y consistency. Take off the heat and pour onto a baking sheet that will fit in the freezer. Spread the mixture evenly on the baking sheet and let it come to room temp in the freezer. 

Building the pie:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out both dough patties until they are 1/8 inch thick. Drape one into the pan (there is no need to grease the pan before hand, it will just make the dough soggy) and crimp the bottom edges. Add your filling in. Now it’s time to get creative! Use the second dough however you want. Youtube is a great resource to help give you inspiration. When you are done decorating the top of the pie, whisk one egg and carefully brush it over the pie dough. Garnish with turbinado sugar

Place in the oven for about 25 mins until it is golden brown and the dough looks flakey.. If it’s taking a little longer to get golden, turn the heat up to 400 degrees and watch it carefully. Let the pie cool down before serving. Pair with vanilla ice cream and berries! Enjoy!