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Author:
Franco Salzillo
Apple pies are amongst the most celebrated baking treats in the American repertoire, and it’s because apples have always been readily available in the country. And although apples are quite tasty on their own, there’s nothing like backing them inside a crackly pastry and flavoring them with cinnamon and butter. What a treat!
Apple pies are as good as the apples used, so get authentic Granny Smith apples — they’re tarter but bake better than other varieties. You’ll also need sugar and lemon juice to balance the fruit out.
A few teaspoons of cornstarch (that’s our secret) give the pie filling a thicker consistency, while butter gives it a lovely shiny look and the most heart-warming aromatics. The truth is that apple pies are much more straightforward than you think — you must only get them right following a tried and tested recipe.
We’re also using cinnamon, a pinch of salt and of course pie pastries — and these you can just buy refrigerated; they’re pretty complex to make from scratch, and there’s no noticeable difference.
This one is easy, apple pies are fantastic straight out of the oven, and you can make the most out of its radiant heat to melt away a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Other ice creams will work just fine, and for the full effect, sprinkle it with crushed walnuts or pecans — we’re now talking restaurant quality here.
The most important thing about making apple pie at home is sharing it with the ones closest to you — pies just taste better when shared with a warm cup of coffee, a few laughs and a good conversation.
Unroll and place a pie crust in the pie pan. Press firmly without breaking. Set aside in the fridge uncovered.
Peel and dice the apples. Discard the cores.
In a mixing bowl, combine the apples with the sugar, corn starch, lemon juice, cinnamon and salt. Incorporate and let the mixture sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bring out the pie pan with the bottom crust. Coat the crust with 2 tablespoons of butter and pour in the apple filling. Cover with the second pie crust and pinch the edges. Score the crust with a fork to allow the steam to escape. Coat with the rest of the butter and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for 50 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool down before serving. This one is piping hot!
