Apple pie is a timeless favorite for any holiday celebration with a taste of home baked into every slice.
This delicious dessert will have guests asking for more!
Classic Pie Dough
- 3 Cups All-purpose flour
- 1 Tbs Sugar
- 1 tsp Fine salt
- 1 Cup (2 sticks) Cold, unsalted butter
- 3/4 Cup Ice cold water
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt.
- Cut the cold butter into cubes, and add the cubes to the flour mixture to coat. Put the mixture in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse in short bursts until the pieces of butter are the size of hazelnuts.
- While pulsing in quick, 4-second bursts, drizzle the ice water into the food processor through the feed tube.
- As soon as the dough comes together in a ball, remove it from the food processor, and divide it into two equal balls. Flatten to a disk, and wrap each disk first in parchment paper and then in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the disks until firm, about 1 hour. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before proceeding with the recipe.)
The Apple Pie
- 2 Balls of Classic Pie Dough (or premade pie crust if you’re not feeling ambitious!)
- 1/2 tsp Cornstarch
- 1 Cup Firmly packed light brown sugar
- 7 Medium Granny Smith apples
- 3 Tbs Unsalted butter
- 2 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp Whiskey
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 Large egg, beaten
- 1 Tbs Raw sugar
Instructions
- Dust a work surface with a sprinkling of flour. Unwrap one of the balls of chilled dough, and put it directly on the work surface. Roll out into a 10-inch round. Transfer the dough to a pie dish, and carefully work it into the pie dish, folding under any overhang and crimping the edge as you go. Wrap and freeze the crust until firm, about 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and light brown sugar. Peel and core the Granny Smith apples, then cut them into 1/8-inch wedges.
- Heat the butter over medium heat in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Swirl the saucepan occasionally until the butter begins to brown. As soon as the butter is evenly browned, add half of the apple wedges, and cook over low heat for 10 minutes or until the apples are softened.
- Add the remaining apples and the cornstarch/sugar mixture. Mix until the sugar has melted, then add the vanilla, whiskey, and cinnamon to the saucepan cooking for 5 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and thick. Do not overcook.
- Dust a work surface with a sprinkling of flour. Unwrap the remaining ball of chilled dough and roll out into a 12-inch round.
- Pour the pie filling into the frozen pie crust, and top with the second dough round. Trim the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Crimp the edges together, brush with the beaten egg, and sprinkle with the raw sugar. Cut 3 steam vents into the top crust.
- Bake the pie until the filling bubbles and the crust is golden brown, about 1 hour. Cool the pie on a rack for 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature. The pie can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 2 days.
Recipe written by Karey Jeffress and originally published in Focus Regional 2024 Winter edition.
Karey Jeffress
Karey Jeffress, a Carlsbad native, loves helping others live their lives to the fullest. Karey’s passions for teaching and healthcare background have inspired her career in education. She has a Master’s in Public Health Promotion, and is working toward a Doctorate in Health Professions Education. Karey is the Allied Health Teacher at Carlsbad High School, a certified Mental Health First Aid and QPR Gatekeeper instructor, yoga teacher, mental health advocate, and community outreach professional. Her other loves include her husband, Dale, and her dogs, as well as attending concerts and baseball games, playing outdoors, local brews, and good nachos.
