My Top Picks Fall Favorites

Perfect Apple Pie Filling & Crust

Source: USA Weekend Edition of the Appleton Post Crescent

Makes one 9-inch pie

Ingredients

Apple Filling

  • 3/4 c. white sugar
  • 3/4 t. ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 t. salt
  • 4 lbs. (12 heaping cups) crisp, firm apples
  • 4 Tbls. butter
  • 2 Tbls. cornstarch
  • 2 Tbls. brandy optional)
  • 1 t. vanilla
  • 1 c. cold water

Crust

  • 1 stick butter (8 Tbls.)
  • 4 Tbls. shortening
  • 2-1/4 c. white all-purpose bleached flour
  • 2 Tbls. sugar
  • 1 t. salt
  • 8 tbls. (4 oz.) very cold cream cheese, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1/3 c. ice water
  • 1 egg white for pastry wash
  • 2 Tbls. white sugar, optional

Instructions

For Filling: Core, peel and slice apples to 1/4-inch. I use an apple, peeler, corer device, they work slick.

Mix sugar, cinnamon and salt; toss with apples.

Heat butter in a 12-inch deep skillet over medium-high heat until it looks a pale nutty brown. Add apple mixture; cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the apples soften and release their juices (about 7 minutes). Uncover and continue to cook until juices thicken to a light syrup (1-2 minutes longer).

Meanwhile, whisk cornstarch, brandy and vanilla into 1 cup water; stir into apple mixture until it thickens, less than a minute.

Transfer apples to a container and refrigerate uncovered to cool quickly, or set aside and let cool at room temperature.

For Crust: Quarter butter lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Cut shortening into the same size pieces. Freeze both, separately, until hard.

Combine flour, sugar and salt in a food processor with metal blade. Add frozen butter; using your fingers, carefully toss to break up butter cubes and coat with flour. Pulse 4 or 5 times, 1 long second each time.

Break off cold pieces of cream cheese and frozen shortening and add to flour mixture; toss to coat. Pulse another 4 or 5 times, 1 long second each, until fats are pea and pebble size.

Add water; pulse twice, 1 long second each, to distribute the water (dough will not have come together yet).

Dump mixture into a bowl; press pieces with palm of hand until there is a cohesive ball of dough. Halve it, making 1 portion slightly bigger than the other. Wrap each in plastic wrap; flatten each into a thick disk. Refrigerate at least 2 hours (can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 2 months).

When ready to roll out, set larger dough disk on a floured work surface; roll into a 14-inch circle. Fold dough in half, set pie plate next to fold line and quickly lift onto pie plate and unfold. Press dough into pan sides so it fits in pan and is not stretched. Spoon in cooled filling.

Roll remaining dough into a 12-inch circle. Fold in half, quickly lift dough onto filling and unfold. Trim all around to 1-inch beyond the pan lip. Roll overhanging dough under with fingertips so that it is flush with pan lip. With finger, flute (pinch) dough all around and cut vents in the top.

Set an 18-inch square of heavy duty foil on oven rack and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Set pie on foil and bake until dough starts to color, about 20 minutes. Brush top with egg wash and sprinkle with 2 Tbls. white sugar, if desired and bake until golden brown, another 20 minutes. Bring foil around pie to loosely cover edges. Bake until filling bubbles (15-20 minutes) longer.

Cool on a wire rack.

NOTE: Baking time is 1 hour and 5-10 minutes total