MAMA'S APPLE PIE

December 29, 2024

MAMA'S APPLE PIE

THE CLASSIC PIE, INSPIRED BY A LOVE OF APPLES

If there was ever a pie that Mama loves to pick appart... it is apple pie. It needs to have a crust that is both flaky and crumbly, and apples that are both tart and sweet/firm but not grainy. The filling needs to be just the right amount of apples, not gooey. The crust cannot be soggy at the bottom, the top needs to be crisp and crunchy, the list goes on, and on...
In my opininon there have been some great apple pies made by Mama with some 'sub-optimal' ingredients, but it is perhaps her constant adjustment to these conditions that allows the apple pie to be a success in most cases. I've heard that knowing which varieties of apples offer specific flavor profiles and texture can be important, so I will be adding a chart to this recipe soon.
In any case, here's the recipe:

CRUST, IF FROM SCRATCH:

INGREDIENTS:


2-1/2 cups	All-purpose Flour (King Arthur if possible)
1 Tbsp	Granulated Sugar
1 tsp	Salt
1 cup	Unsalted butter, VERY cold

CRUST, IF STORE BOUGHT:


2 ct	Pillsbury Pie Crust, room temp

FILLING:

INGREDIENTS:


3-4	Medium Granny Smith Apples (peeled, cored, and thinly sliced)
3-4	Medium crisp, mildly sweet, red apples [read note about aples types] (peeled, cored, and thinly sliced)
3/4 cup	Granulated Sugar
2 Tbsp	All-Purpose Flour
1/4 tsp	Salt
1 tsp	Cinnamon, ground
1/4 tspp	Nutmeg, ground
1/8 tsp	Ginger, ground
1/8 tsp	Allspice, ground
1 Tbsp	Lemon Juice
2 Tbsp	Unsalted butter, melted

FOR TOPPING:


1/4 cup	Unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup	Granulated Sugar

NOTE ON APPLE TYPES:

“Crisp, mildly sweet, red apples” is intentionally vague because not all apples are available at all times. Ideal choice here is Braeburn or Jonagold, second choice would be Honeycrisp, last resort would be Gala. If they have none of these available—you really don’t want to make apple pie.
I like to do three of each apple type to start, then eyeball the volume before cutting into the last two. Place your sliced apples into the empty pie dish like the image above, the top of the mound of apples should sit about 50% higher than the depth of the dish. Sometimes six is enough, sometimes you need a bit more— just aim for a 50:50 mix. It’s important to avoid wasting your spice mixture on apples that ultimately won’t fit into the pie.

TYPE AND SIZE OF PIE DISH:

Your choice of pie dish may vary from this suggestion, but note that the material, depth, and diameter of the pie dish will make a difference in the cooking time and/or overall texture of the pie. This pie dish is based on the one that was used for this specific recipe for optimal results.
The thickness of the pie dish walls can also have an effect since it will dictate how the temperature from the oven transfers to the sides and underside of the pie. A thicker pie dish will hold more heat and distribute it slowly and evenly to the inside, a thin pie dish will instead transfer the heat more directly from the oven to the pie. If you have an oven than runs hot or is not distributing heat properly a thin pie dish may cause your pie to be cooked on one side and raw in the other.
Ideally a stoneware ceramic pie dish should have anywhere between a 1/8-3/16" wall thickness, but depending on the specific material this dimension may vary. As far as ceramics go, an example in variations will look like this: an earthenware dish will be thicker and more porous than a stoneware dish. This means the earthenware dish with its thicker wall will distribute heat more slowly (an thus evenly) and will allow the top of the pie to cook more rapidly than the center. A stoneware dish (which is what we use in this recipe) is less porous and more dense, which allows for a thinner wall; This distribues heat a bit more rapidly to the center of the pie. Alternatively a glass or even porcelain pie dish, can be far more dense, and thus can be much thinner in their wall thickness. This could allow the heat transfer to happen even faster, leading to cooking the sides and undersides faster than the center of the pie.

INSTRUCTIONS:

PreHeat oven to 425°F.
Lay out one pie crust in ungreased 9-inch pie dish. Press firmly against side and bottom, ensuring there are no air bubbles underneath. If necessary, you can use a toothpick to poke any stubborn bubbles before pressing down.
In medium bowl, whisk together dry filling ingredients (sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice) until well-combined. Set aside.
Melt the butter in a microwave safe dish, taking care to make sure the butter does not separate. Set aside.
Peel and core apples, then slice very thinly, aiming for something between 1/16" – 1/8" thick. Put apple slices into a large mixing bowl with the lemon juice, tossing gently between each full apple’s worth. The lemon juice helps to slow browning.
Once you have the right quantity of apple slices (about 1-1/2 pie dishes tall), add your spice mixture to the apple slices and gently toss until evenly coated.
Spoon into crust-lined pie dish, arranging apple slices into a loose mound. Make sure they are not overlapping the crust edges, as you’ll need them uncovered to attach the top crust.
Once you’re happy with the arrangement, slowly pour the melted butter evenly over top of the apple slices. Before moving on, melt your topping butter (again, being careful not to let it separate). Set aside.
Top with second crust layer and gently push down the excess top crust down to remove excess gap between the crust and the fillins. The edge of the crust should create a pit around the edge of the pie dish, sloping upwards towards the lip, right under bottom crust edge.
If you have a lot of excess top crust, it may be necessary to cut some away before you start, leaving at least 1/2" to tuck under all the way around
Gently lift the edge of both crusts between your index finger an thumb, then fold the top and bottom crust about 1/4-1/2" towards the outside of the pie dish.
Press the edges together to seal, then flute.
Generously brush with topping butter, and generously sprinkle granulated sugar over top. Did I say generously? This is very important for maximum deliciousness.
Cut slits into several places in top crust.
Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown.
If desired, cover edge of crust with 2" – 3" wide strips of foil after first 15 to 20 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning.
Cool on cooling rack at least 2 hours before serving.