Your Best Apple Pie
 
Ingredients
  • Crust:
  • 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 TB sugar
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • ½ cup ice water
  • Filling:
  • 7-8 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
  • Zest and juice of ½ lemon
  • 1 TB cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp. each ground cloves, allspice and nutmeg
  • Pinch salt
  • 2 TB flour
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 egg white, lightly beaten
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt for the crust and whisk together. Place bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes.
  2. Remove the bowl from the freezer and add the cold, cubed butter. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and there are still visible pea-sized pieces of butter.
  3. Combine the lemon juice and ice water. Slowly pour the liquids over the butter-flour mixture and stir with a fork until the dough begins to come together. Gather the dough up into a ball and knead it against the sides of the bowl a few times until it holds together but do not overwork it.
  4. Divide the dough in half and form into two disks, 1-inch thick. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least an hour. (Can make dough up to 3 days in advance.)
  5. After dough is chilled, roll out the first disk, which will be the bottom of the pie.
  6. To roll out the pie crust, place the disk on a well-floured board or silicone rolling mat such as a Roul'Pat. Flour your rolling pin.
  7. Start in the center and roll out in each direction. Turn the dough every few strokes and flip it over from time to time as well to prevent sticking. Have your pie plate nearby so you can gauge when you have the correct size. You want the crust to be a bit bigger than the plate.
  8. Use a pastry scraper to peel the crust off your board or mat, roll it up carefully and transfer to pie plate.
  9. Unroll and fit crust into bottom of pie plate. Trim edges as necessary but make sure that crust covers the edge of the pie plate. Use excess dough to patch any cracks or bare spots.
  10. Chill the dough in the pie plate 30 minutes.
  11. Preheat the oven to 425.
  12. Prepare the filling by tossing apple slices with lemon juice, sugar, flour and spices. Taste and adjust sugar as needed.
  13. Remove second disk of dough from refrigerator and roll it out according to above method.
  14. Pour filling into pie pan making a mound in the center.
  15. Carefully place top crust on top of filling and pinch edges of the top and bottom crusts together. Use your fingers to create a nice, fluted edge. Cut three or four tear-shaped holes in center of top crust to act as a vent.
  16. Brush the top of the pie with the egg white wash. Sprinkle the top with Turbinado sugar if desired.
  17. Bake at 425 for 25 minutes.
  18. After 25 minutes, reduce heat to 375. It is a good idea, at this point to cover the edges of the crust with tin foil or use a pie crust shield to prevent them from burning.
  19. Bake pie at 375 for 30-35 minutes until crust is deep golden.
  20. Cool on a rack before slicing.
Notes
The crust recipe is adapted from Rustic Fruit Desserts. Makes a top and bottom crust for a 9-inch pie.
Recipe by West of the Loop at https://www.westoftheloop.com/2014/11/01/best-apple-pie/