Warm Cinnamon Apple Pie
+ a piecrust tutorial
If you’re like me, you might like eating pie but hate making it. “Easy as pie” is such a useless idiom— anyone who has made a pie from scratch knows it’s a lot of fucking work.
I started making a LOT more pies once I got a food processor, which turns the piecrust process into a 3-minute affair. But this recipe is worth it regardless, with the most perfectly flaky crust, delicately baked apples, and warm cinnamon-y syrup in every bite!
Warm Cinnamon Apple Pie (with piecrust from Ad Hoc At Home by Thomas Keller)
Total time: 60 - 65 minutes (10 minutes active time)
Serves: 8-10
Kids Can Help
Measure ingredients
Ingredients
For the crust: (makes 2 pie crusts)
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 ½ sticks of unsalted butter (20 Tbsp), chilled
1 ¼ tsp kosher salt
5-6 Tbsp ice water
For the filling:
8 cups of apples (about 6 apples); I used a mix of Pink Lady and Granny Smith
2 Tbsp butter
¾ cup sugar
1½ tsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
Tools
Food processor OR large bowl, fork
9-inch round pie dish
Large (5.5 L or similar size) saute pan
spatula
rolling pin
Directions
Step 1 (2+ hours in advance of baking the pie)
Make the pie dough:
Chop the 2 ½ sticks of butter into small cubes. Place the butter, 1 ¼ tsp salt, and 2 ½ cups of flour in a large bowl (or in a food processor if you have one— preferred). Working quickly while the butter is still cold, blend the butter into the flour with your fingers until the butter pieces are no larger than a pea. Drizzle 1/4 cup of ice-cold water on top and work in with a fork until it just holds together when pinched; add an additional tablespoon of water if the dough is dry. Divide into two portions and form into disks 1 inch tall; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days in advance.
Step 2
Make the filling:
Slice each apple on each of its 4 sides, then slice each chunk into ¼-inch pieces. Heat 2 Tbsp butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the apple slices and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5-10 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then toss with 3 Tbsp flour, 1½ tsp cinnamon, and ¾ cup of sugar. Set aside.
Step 3
Roll out the dough:
Let the dough sit out for a few minutes until it is malleable, then unwrap and start to work the dough on a floured surface. Start by hitting the dough with the rolling pin a few times, then flip over and hit on the opposite side; repeat until the dough has doubled its width, then use the rolling pin to roll it smoothly into a large circle.
Once the dough is about 1/8” thick and several inches wider than the pie dish (at least 3-4 inches on each side), place it in the pie plate. Trim off the excess (set aside these long strips for later), leaving a 1-inch overhang. Tuck the rough edge underneath, leaving at last half an inch above the pie plate. To make the classic crimp pattern, grasp the edge with both thumbs and forefingers and pinch, then twist in opposite directions.
The pie crust is done, and you can bake it as is, but you can add a lot more flair by making some decorations out of the remaining dough, like a lattice top or some stencil cut-outs. You can also use the second disk of dough for a top crust (make sure to cut in holes for ventilation!) or freeze it for future use.
To make a lattice top, I like to use this handy tool to cut long strips from the leftover pieces of the bottom crust. To weave, lay two in each direction, tucking one under and the other over. Repeat the pattern until you have 4 rows in each direction.
Step 4
Bake the pie at 350 for 55-65 minutes until the top has browned and the filling is bubbling. For easy removal, place the pie dish on a cookie sheet – this will also catch drips!
