Ingredients
Butter pastry
- 300 g all-purpose flour plus a little for rolling
- 200 g unsalted butter cold and diced
- 15 g granulated sugar
- 0.5 tsp fine salt
- 100–120 ml ice water add only as much as needed
Apple filling
- 1 kg apples prepared peeled and cored weight; half Granny Smith and half Honeycrisp, sliced about 5 mm thick
- 125 g granulated sugar
- 25 g cornstarch
- 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- 30 ml lemon juice
Egg wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp water
Equipment
- 9-inch pie pan
- Mixing bowls
- Pastry cutter or fingertips
- Rolling Pin
- Baking sheet
- Pastry brush
- Wire cooling rack
Instructions
Make the pastry
- Combine the flour, sugar and salt. Work in the cold diced butter with a pastry cutter or fingertips until the mixture contains crumbs and small flattened pieces of butter.
- Add 100 ml ice water gradually, tossing gently. Add up to 20 ml more only if a squeezed handful will not hold together. Gather without kneading, divide into two disks, wrap and refrigerate for 60 minutes.
Fill and assemble
- Heat the oven to 425°F/220°C with a rack in the lower third. Have a baking sheet ready to catch drips. Roll one dough disk on a lightly floured surface to about 13 inches across and ease it into a 9-inch pie pan without stretching.
- Toss the prepared apple slices with the filling sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and lemon juice until evenly coated. Transfer promptly to the pastry-lined pan, distributing slices to avoid large gaps.
- Roll the second disk to about 11 inches across. Cover the filling, trim excess dough, join the edges and crimp. Cut five steam vents in the top. If the pastry has become soft, refrigerate briefly before baking.
- Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush a thin layer over the top crust, avoiding puddles. Discard unused egg wash; do not taste raw pastry.
Bake and cool
- Set the pie on the baking sheet. Bake at 425°F/220°C for 15–20 minutes, then lower the oven to 375°F/190°C and bake for 45–60 minutes more. Shield the edges with foil if they brown early. The top should be golden, the apples tender when pierced through a vent, and thick filling should bubble through the center vents for at least 5 minutes before removing it.
- Cool on a wire rack for at least 3 hours and until completely cool before slicing; allow longer if the center is still warm. The total time is an estimate and includes chilling and a minimum cooling period. Refrigerate the cooled pie, loosely covered, and use within 4 days. Optional ice cream or cream is excluded from nutrition.
Nutrition
Calories: 469kcalCarbohydrates: 65.5gProtein: 5.2gFat: 21.5gFiber: 2.6g
Video
Notes
Instructional video credit: Natasha’s Kitchen, “The Only APPLE PIE Recipe You’ll Need,” published October 25, 2019. It demonstrates homemade butter pastry, sliced apples, assembly and baking. Her version uses a cooked butter/flour/sugar sauce and a lattice top. This independent formula uses raw apples tossed with cornstarch, mixed apple varieties and a solid vented top, with different quantities and oven temperatures. Follow this card’s amounts and doneness cues.
Nutrition is estimated per one-eighth of the pie from generic ingredient data. It assumes all listed dough and one full egg are consumed, so actual values vary with trimmings, unused wash, apple variety and slice size. Extra rolling flour and optional toppings are excluded; this is not laboratory analysis.
Estimated cost basis: about 3 lb whole apples US$4.50 to obtain 1 kg prepared fruit; butter US$1.80; flour US$0.40; total sugar US$0.22; cornstarch US$0.12; egg US$0.35; lemon and cinnamon US$0.61. Total US$8.00, divided into 8 slices. Prices vary by store and location.
For storage, refrigerate the cooled pie and use within 4 days. Cream and ice cream require their own cold storage. This recipe is not intended for reduced-sugar preservation or canning.