MASTERING PIE PREPARATION
Any way you slice it, apple or pumpkin pie are bound to be on the dessert table at many holiday feasts. Here are recipes for both, plus pastry, to dazzle your guests.
“Blue Ribbon” Apple Pie
This apple pie will be sure to win you the “blue ribbon” first prize at the next baking contest, says pastry chef Anna Olson.
MAKES ONE 9-INCH PIE, ENOUGH FOR 8 SERVINGS
1 recipe Pie Dough for Fruit Fillings, chilled (recipe follows) 6 cups peeled and sliced (1/2-inch thick) mixed apples (about 5 medium apples such as Mutsu, Granny Smith, Royal Gala, Honeycrisp or Cortland) 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground allspice 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 2 tbsp rolled oats 2 tbsp unsalted butter 1 egg, whisked with 2 tbsp water, for brushing Granulated sugar and ground cinnamon, for sprinkling
Prep time: 40 minutes; baking time: 1 hour plus cooling
Pull dough from fridge 15 to 30 minutes before you are ready to roll it. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
In a non-reactive bowl, toss sliced apples with lemon juice. Leave half the apples in bowl. Place other half in a sauté pan or saucepan and heat on medium until some of the juices cook out and the apples soften, about 10 minutes. Remove apples from pan with a slotted spoon and stir with uncooked apples to cool.
In a separate bowl, stir both sugars with cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg to blend. Stir into apples and set aside.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out first disc of dough into a circle just less than 1/4 inch thick. Dust a 9-inch pie plate with flour and line bottom and sides of plate with pastry so it hangs over the edge of the plate a little. Sprinkle bottom of shell with oats (this will help absorb any excess juices). Spoon apple filling into shell and dot with butter.
Roll out remaining disc of dough to 1/4 inch thick and place over apples. Trim excess dough and pinch edges of crust together, creating a fluted edge. Brush pastry with egg wash. Stir a little sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle generously over top. Use scissors to snip an opening in top crust to allow steam to escape.
Place pie on prepared baking tray and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 and continue to bake for another 40 to 50 minutes, until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling. Cool pie in pan on a cooling rack for at least two hours before serving.
Source: “Bake with Anna Olson: More than 125 Simple, Scrumptious and Sensational Recipes to Make You a Better Baker” by Anna Olson (Appetite by Random House, 2016).