One of my favourite holidays is coming up this weekend. You guessed it, Canadian Thanksgiving!! When I was studying at Bishop's, Thanksgiving was the best thing ever. I can remember being in first year and being stupid enough to bring a WHOLE DUFFLE BAG of books home to study lol. I actually had to recruit a random passerby to grab a side and help me carry it to the bus stop. And to think I was going to get any studying done during my favourite time of year in the capital. I always made sure my Thanksgiving weekends were filled with hiking in beautiful scenery, and tons and tons of pie! Speaking of pie, here is an amazing apple pie recipe to share with your loved ones this weekend. And do me a favour, tell them you love them and how thankful you are for them.
Okay, now let's get down to the real talk. That fancy pie crust was wayyyyyy easier than it looks. And trust me when I say that you shouldn't let all the myths that pastry is finicky get in the way of wowing your guests with the apple pie of their dreams. I turned to Pinterest and Instagram to get some ideas and then I was off! All it takes is determination and a heck of a lot of butter to nail this recipe.
Ingredients
Pie Crust
2 1/2 cups flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 to 1 cup ice cold water
Pie Filling
8-9 small/medium apples (I used cortland apples, but granny smith work well too)
1/2 cup butter
3 Tbsp flour
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
Preparation
Pie Crust
- I have used this pie crust recipe since I baked my very first pie. It requires a gazillion steps but it's reliable AF. Here we go! Fill a cup measuring cup with water and some ice to get it supppppper cold.
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, a tablespoon of sugar and a teaspoon of salt.
- Grate a cup of cold butter into the flour mixture. This is the easiest way to get all your ingredients integrated.
- Use a fork, or your hands to mix everything together.
- Drizzle half a cup of cold water into the mixture. Mix together and then add in more water a tablespoon at a time till the dough holds together.
- Knead the dough and then divide it in half. One half will fill the pie plate and the other will be used to make your fancy pie top.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and then chill in the fridge for at least an hour. If you're in a pinch you can pop it in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- After chilling, roll out the dough into a thin layer and then fit into a 9 inch pie shell. Tuck the excess that hangs over the edge under to create an even and pretty edge.
- Cover with plastic wrap and then pop it in the fridge again for about 30 minutes this time.
- Roll out the other half of the dough. At this point you can stop and watch netflix and call it a day. OR you can get your pinterest on and measure a rectangle that is 10 inches in length. Cut out strips for your lattice top. They can all be the same width or you can use my example and create all different widths and even braid some.
- Pop these guys into the freezer on a flat plate or baking sheet for about 15 minutes. This way they keep their shape.
Pie Filling
- At some point during the pie crust process (like when your dough is chilling in the fridge), you can make the filling for your apple pie. In a medium pot, melt the butter and then mix in the flour to create a paste.
- Add in the rest of the filling ingredients (sugars, spices and vanilla). Let this mixture boil for a minute or two until it thickens slightly.
- Peel and slice the apples and then toss with the sauce you made.
- Pour the apples into the prepared pie shell and then top with your lattice crust. I made tiny leaves out of pastry to go around the edge of the pie shell. I get that that's a bit excessive haha and you can totally skip this step.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes at 425ºF.
- After that, reduce heat to 375ºF and bake for 40 minutes. Take the aluminum foil off for the last 10 minutes to let the crust get all golden.
//Pie crust recipe via America's Test Kitchen & filling adapted from Audrey's Apron.
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