The BEST Apple Pie Recipe
I don’t care if it’s still 100 degrees in September, I am in the Fall mood so I’m going to start doing my Fall activities now! The rest of the world is just going to have to catch up.
A couple of years ago, I started an unofficial tradition of baking an apple pie from scratch and despite the heat, natural disasters, and global pandemic happening, I have decided to continue that tradition. The first homemade apple pie that I ever made was back when I was living in Ireland. I was feeling homesick and wanted to keep myself busy on one incredibly wet and windy weekend. One of my friends told me he had an apple tree that was producing more apples than he and his flatmates could manage to eat, so I offered to take a few off his hands. Thus, the apple pie baking tradition was born!
I scrounged the web to find the best apple pie recipe and naturally, everyone on Pinterest thought they had the best! So, I did what any Borderline Millennial would do and took bits of what recipes looked the best to make a recipe of my own! What I ended up with was a recipe that was waaaay better than expected, and I will carry with me forever and pass along to my children and to their children and so on and so forth.
It seems like my timing of baking this pie is always synonymous with a major life event. The first time I made it, I was studying abroad and having an unforgettable time. This year, while making the pie, I was in a virtual waiting room via Zoom with all of my siblings having casual conversations while my sister was giving birth to her first (and very healthy) child! It’s a moment and a pie I will never forget. So, I guess, in a way, this homemade apple pie is and will always be a symbol of good times, great memories, and lots and lots of love, just as I believe all baked goods should be.
So, without further ado, I give you all my favorite Apple Pie Recipe that only tastes better and better when it’s made with lots of love.
The Ingredients
For the Crust
2 ½ cups Flour
1 tsp Salt
2 sticks Cold Butter - cut into small chunks
9 tbsp Ice Cold Water
For the Pie Filling
Apples peeled, halved, and sliced thinly.
1 Granny Smith Apple
2 Gala Apples
1 Honeycrisp Apple
2 Red Delicious Apples
1 Fuji Apple
¾ cup Sugar
2 tbsp Flour
½ tsp Salt
1 ½ tsp Cinnamon
¼ tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Allspice
½ Lemon (juice)
To Make the Pie Crust
Mix together your flour and salt in a large bowl with a fork.
Add in the chunks of butter and mix it in with your fork. Make sure to smash the butter in with the fork and get it nice and blended in. It shouldn’t be smooth, just do your best to combine.
Tablespoon by tablespoon pour in your water and mix it in with a wooden spoon. Mix until the water is worked into the dough and stop when the dough is a nice, flaky texture.
Remove your dough from the bowl and shape it into a big ball.
Wrap your dough ball in plastic wrap or a big Ziploc bag and place it in the refrigerator for 1 Hour.
To Make the Filling
Preheat your oven to 375F
Combine all of your pie filling ingredients in a large bowl and mix together with a wooden spoon until the apples are evenly coated. Set aside.
To Make the Pie
Grab your dough from the refrigerator, unwrap it and cut it in half.
Roll out each half to be the size just wider than your pie pan. To make rolling easier, lightly coat the countertop, top of the dough, and rolling pin with flour.
Once your dough is rolled out, place one rolled out piece in the bottom of your pie pan.
Pour the pie filling into your pie pan, on top of the crust.
Cover the pie filling with the second rolled out piece of dough and seal the brim with your fingers or fork. Peel off any excess dough.
If you have any extra dough left, roll it out and cut it into the shape of your favorite fall decor (leaves, pumpkins, etc.) and place that onto the top of the pie anywhere you’d like.
Coat the top of the pie with a light egg wash and some extra sugar and cinnamon.
Slice the top, middle of the pie with a knife in the shape of a small “X” to let the pie breathe while in the oven.
Place the pie in the over for 50-60 mins.
Serve with French Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.
Enjoy.