Apple Pie

Name: Apple Pie
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 3 lb McIntosh apples; 0.75 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar; 2 tbsp all-purpose flour; 1 tsp cinnamon; 0.25 tsp freshly grated nutmeg; 0.25 tsp salt; 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice; 2 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into bits; 1 milk for brushing the crust; 1.25 cup all-purpose flour; 0.75 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into bits; 2 tbsp cold vegetable shortening; 0.25 tsp salt; 2 tbsp ice water plus additional if necessary

From the kitchen of Carly

McIntosh apples softened with cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice, then tucked into a buttery crust. This is the apple pie that tastes like autumn in your kitchen, straightforward and deeply satisfying with every spiced bite.

McIntosh apples break down into soft, tart filling that doesn't need thickening, so you get real fruit flavor instead of gluey filling. A hot oven start sets the crust, then a gentle finish prevents burning while the fruit stays bright. Skip the food processor for flaky pastry, done this way.

Prep: n/a
Cook: n/a
Total: n/a
Servings: 4
Difficulty: medium

Ingredients

4 servings

3 lbMcIntosh apples
3/4 cupplus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 tbspall-purpose flour
1 tspcinnamon
1/4 tspfreshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tspsalt
1 tbspfresh lemon juice
2 tbspcold unsalted butter, cut into bits
1milk for brushing the crust
1 1/4 cupall-purpose flour
3/4 stickcold unsalted butter, cut into bits
2 tbspcold vegetable shortening
1/4 tspsalt
2 tbspice water plus additional if necessary

Instructions

Bring the oven up to 450°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of the chilled dough to 1/8 inch thick and ease it into a 9 inch (1-quart) glass pie plate. Trim the edges, allowing a 3/4 inch overhang. Slide the shell and the unused dough back into the fridge while you build the filling. Peel, core, and cut the apples into eighths, then tip them into a large bowl with 3/4 cup of the sugar, the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and lemon juice. Toss the filling until everything is evenly coated. Spoon into the chilled pie shell and dot the surface with bits of the butter.
Roll out the remaining dough on a lightly floured surface to form a 13 by 14 inch round. Drape it across the apple filling and trim, leaving 1 inch of overhang all around. Tuck the overhang under the edge of the bottom crust, pressing the two together to seal, and crimp the rim decoratively. Brush the surface lightly with the milk, then cut several slits through the top crust with a sharp knife to vent steam during baking. Shower the top evenly with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar. Place the pie on a large baking sheet and slide it onto the middle rack. Bake for 20 minutes at 450°F, then drop the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking another 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is deep golden and the apples have softened.
For the dough itself: combine the flour, butter, vegetable shortening, and salt in a large bowl, working everything together until the mixture takes on the texture of coarse meal. Add the 2 tablespoons of ice water and toss with a fork until the water disappears into the flour, splashing in more cold water as needed to bring the dough together. Form into a ball, dust with flour, swaddle in wax paper, and refrigerate for 1 hour before rolling. The full recipe makes enough for 2 crusts (1 top, 1 bottom).

Tips from the kitchen

Use McIntosh specifically. They're tart and collapse into pieces, which is exactly what you want here, not firm Granny Smiths that stay chunky.
Ice water matters. Add it a tablespoon at a time, then form the dough gently without overworking. Overworked dough gives you a tough crust every time.
Fold the overhang under before crimping so you get a sturdy double edge that won't slump or burn. Crimp gently or the seal breaks during baking.
Brush only the top crust with milk, not the edges where it pools and burns. A light brush is all you need for golden color.

Variations

Lattice top instead of solid: skip the slits, cut the top crust into strips, weave them over the filling, then fold the edge under and crimp.
Mixed apples: use half McIntosh and half Granny Smith for more structure and less mush, though you lose some of that soft-filling appeal.
Brown butter crust: brown the butter before cutting it in for a nutty, complex crust that stands up to the simple filling.
All-butter dough: skip the shortening and use 8 tablespoons butter instead for richer flavor, though the crust will be slightly less tender.

Make ahead and storage

Store cooled pie loosely covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. Freezing cooked pie isn't ideal, but unbaked pie keeps frozen up to 3 months, then bake from frozen at 425°F for 50 to 60 minutes.