It CANNOT be Thanksgiving without apple pie! At least not in our family. I have to admit, I was rather intimidated to make an apple pie at first (which is probably why my very first one was made at midnight in my single apartment in college with no one around to critique). But the more I make them, the more I learn. Here, I switched up the apples, using Galas instead of traditional Granny Smiths. They held up well, and I really enjoyed the extra sweetness they brought.
Now, that being said, EVERYONE knows the MOST important part of the apple pie is not, in fact, the apples. It’s the CRUST! If you’re in the market for a good, all-butter crust recipe, you MUST try this one (yes, all the CAPS are necessary! Haha!). I’ve never believed in shortening (it legit freaks me out) so I’m all butter, all the time. It’s just better (and real) that way.
So, here’s to Thanksgiving and a gloriously delicious flaky crust soaked in cinnamon-sugar apple juice!
- 7 Gala apples
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon raw cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 egg
- 2 pie crusts
- First, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Then peel, core and slice your apples into wedges. You may even want to cut your wedges in half (I do). Toss them in a bowl with lemon zest and juice, the cane sugar and spices. Make sure each apple slice is evenly coated.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out your first pie crust into a 12" round. Gently fit one crust into the bottom of a 9" pie plate, with about 1" of dough hanging over the edges. Pile your apples into the dish, forming a small mound in the center. Roll out your second pie crust to the same diameter and carefully lay it over your pie dish. (Tip: Roll your pie dough up on your rolling pin and unroll it onto the pie dish for an easy transfer.) Trim the edges of the dough to line up with the edge of your pie plate, and either fork, crimp or otherwise decoratively seal the edges of the top and bottom crusts together.
- Cut a few vents in the center of the pie crust to allow the steam from the apples to escape when baking. Any cute pattern you like will do.
- Then, lightly beat the egg with some water and gently brush the top of the pie with the egg wash. This will help the pie to brown. If you like, sprinkle the top with granulated sugar. As the pie bakes to golden-brown perfection, the sugar crystals will give it a beautiful glistening look with a touch of added sweetness.
- Place the pie plate on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes, until the crust starts to brown. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 and bake for an additional 40-50 minutes until the crust is perfectly golden-brown and the apple juices are bubbling up through the vents of the crust. Remove pie plate to a cooling rack to cool at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving.