Medium
8
Published 2014
A commenter on my blog came up with the idea to add thickened apple cider to the apples in an apple pie to make more sauce in the filling—a request from her husband. I tried the idea and love the luscious texture and added flavor the apple cider gives to the apples. I still like to concentrate the apples’ juices to keep the bottom of the crust from getting soggy and to add a wonderful caramel undertone to the filling.
VOLUME | WEIGHT | ||
dough for a standard double crust 9 inch pie | . |
VOLUME | WEIGHT | ||
about 6 medium baking apples ( |
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lemon juice, freshly squeezed | |||
light brown Muscovado sugar, or dark brown sugar | |||
granulated sugar (see Notes) | |||
ground cinnamon (see Notes) | . | ||
nutmeg, freshly grated | . | . | |
fine sea salt | . | ||
unpasteurized apple cider, unsweetened | |||
cornstarch (for the apple cider) | . | ||
unsalted butter | |||
cornstarch (for the apples) | . |
One 9 inch pie plate | An expandable flan ring or 12 inch round cardboard template | A baking stone or baking sheet | A foil ring to protect the edges of the crust
Remove the dough for the bottom crust from the refrigerator. If necessary, let it sit for about 10 minutes, or until it is malleable enough to roll.
On a floured pastry cloth, pastry mat, or between two sheets of lightly floured plastic wrap, roll the dough into a ⅛ inch thick disc, 12 inches in diameter or large enough to line the bottom of the pie plate and extend slightly past the edge of the rim. Lift the dough from time to time and add flour as necessary to keep it from sticking. Before measuring the dough, make sure to lift it from the surface to allow it to shrink in so that it doesn’t retract when set in the pie plate. Use the expandable flan ring, or a small sharp knife with the cardboard template as a guide, to cut a 12 inch disc of dough.
Transfer the dough to the pie plate, easing it into place. If necessary, trim the edge almost even with the edge of the plate. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes or up to 3 hours.
Peel the apples and slice them in half. Use a melon baller to remove the cores and a small sharp knife to cut away any remaining peel. Slice the apples ¼ inch thick. Weigh or measure the apple slices and toss them with the lemon juice.
In a large bowl, mix together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add the apples and toss to coat them with the sugar mixture. Let the apples macerate at room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes or up to 3 hours.
In a small saucepan, stir together the apple cider and the
Transfer the apples and their juices to a colander suspended over a bowl to capture the liquid. The mixture will release at least
Transfer this liquid to a
Transfer the apples to a large bowl and toss them with the
Roll out the dough for the top crust large enough to cut a 12 inch disc. Use the expandable flan ring, or a sharp knife with the cardboard template as a guide, to cut the disc of dough.
Place the top crust over the apple filling. Tuck the overhang under the bottom crust border and press down all around the top to seal it. Crimp the border using your forefinger and thumb or a fork, and use a small sharp knife to make 5 evenly spaced 2 inch slashes in the top crust, starting about 1 inch from the center and radiating toward the edge. Cover the pie loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 1 hour before baking to chill and relax the dough. This will maintain flakiness and help to keep the crust from shrinking.
Forty-five minutes or longer before baking, set an oven rack at the lowest level and place the baking stone or baking sheet on it. Place a large sheet of nonstick aluminum foil or foil lightly coated with nonstick cooking spray on top of the stone to catch any juices.
Place the foil ring on top of the pie to protect the edges from overbrowning and set the pie on the foil-topped baking stone.
Cool on a wire rack for at least 4 hours before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Room temperature, 2 days; refrigerated, 4 days.
Copyright © 2014 by Cordon Rose, LLC. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.