Apple Pie

I am back - beat the cold, back in shape, AND as promised, made for the first time a yummy, classic Apple Pie... from scratch! (Really, a sweet challenge). If you went apple picking and don't know what to do with your fall harvest, I suggest you try this classic recipe (apple and not-so-much apple lovers will appreciate it - hubby never really liked apples, even less apple pies but he really, honestly enjoyed this fresh, homemade classic).

Thank you Joanne Chang from Flour Bakery (Boston) (http://www.flourbakery.com/) - you should check out her book, Flour. 

Here is what you'll need :

For the dough (Pâte Brisée)
1 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (228 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoon cold milk

For the Apple Pie
7 medium-large apples (or about 10 small Macintosh) - peeled, cored and slided (1/4 - 1/2 inch thick). Joanne C. suggests a double two-apple pie, with 4 large Granny Smith and 3 medium Macintosh. I only had small Macintosh and so I used about 10-12 of them (they were small)
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of cinnamon
1 egg, lightly beaten
Optional: 2 tablespoon sanding sugar, pearl sugar, or granulated sugar.

First start with the Pâte Brisée:
Using a stand mixer, mix flour, sugar and salt together (about 15 seconds). 

Add the butter on top and mix on low speed for about 1- 1 1/2 minutes...or until lumps of butter  (size of pecans) are visible.

In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolks and milk...and add the to the flour mixture. Mix on low speed for about 30 seconds.

Looks messy? Normal :) Now dump all of that on a  counter / surface (unfloured)..and gather all of that mess into a ball (mound). With palm of your hand, smear the dough side by side until it comes together (until most butter chunks are smeared into the dough). 

When it looks cohesive, with streaks of butter, wrap up tightly in pastic wrap and press down to flatten into a disk about 1 inch thick.

Place into refrigerator for at least 4 hours (yeah go on, do something else...go play outside!) :)

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Had fun? Okay, let's hit the pie!

Get the dough from the fridge and on a well-floured surface, roll out 3/4 of the dough into a 12" diameter (about 1/8 inch thick). The other 1/4 will be used for the lattice at the end.

Roll the dough around your rolling pin and unroll (unfurl) it on top of a 9-inch pie pan. Press the down gently into the bottom and sides of the pan, leaving 1/4-inch lip around the edge (it will shrink in the oven!).

Place the pie shell in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
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Pre-heat the oven at 350°F. 
Line the pie shell with parchment paper and add rice, beans or pie weights. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the shell is light brown.

Meanwhile, combine apples, brown sugar, flour, salt and cinnamon into a medium bowl. Toss to coat the apples evenly. Let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes (will allow apples to soften).

When pie shell ready, remove from oven and gently remove the rice (beans or pie weights) and the parchment paper. Make sure no rice is left or stuck in the shell :-)

Pile the apples, pressing down gently.

On a well-floured surface, roll out the remaining dough into a rectangle about 10" x 6" (about 1/4 inch thick). Cut length-wise into strips of about 3/4 inch wide. (If you have a fluted pastry wheel, it will look prettier. Otherwise, a pizza wheel or dough knife will work well). 

Brush each strip with the beaten egg and start draping (placing them on the pie for deco). Make sure you let the strips drape over the edge as they will shrink in the oven - you will trim these at the end when baked.

Depending on your oven, bake 1 hour (Joanne suggested 1hr-10 minutes to 1hr-30 min)...took my oven 1 hour...or until lattice strips are golden brown all the way through (make sure there are no pale spots otherwise they will be soft and chewy). The apples should be soft and easy to pierce with a small knife. 

Let cool on wire rack for at least 1 hour. Trim the lattice overhang with a knife.

Voilà! Enjoy...you can serve warm...and with a scoop of vanilla ice cream...yum!