I was recently asked a question about apples. Jenny, from North Carolina asked, “What is your choice for the best apple to use in an apple pie?” Great question, Jenny! This my humble reply:

Oh, I remember making my very first Apple Pie from scratch. The year was 1991 and my husband, Mike, and I were newly married! It was a pretty good pie, especially for my first one, but it was filled with one type of apple – you guessed it – the beautiful Granny Smith! Tart, firm Granny Smith apples are great for pies, but when they stand alone, the pie needs a lot of sugar, so I learned over the years, to use three types of apples. I always choose Granny, but add a couple more varieties!

The key to a good apple pie is in the apples you choose and the crust. You should always choose different types of apples because each apple has a different flavor and this will add tremendous flavor to your pie. The selection of apples will vary depending upon where you live. Here are my two rules when choosing the stars of my pie:

1. The apples must be firm, but not too firm. Some apples like Fuji for example, tend to be too firm for baking. Choose an apple like Granny Smith, Golden, Gala, Orin, Russets (not potatoes :-) Jonagold, and/or Honeycrisp. They must be firm enough to hold their shape while baking, but they should be soft enough to make a good pie. Once you’ve considered your options, choose two to three varieties for your pie.

2. Choose an apple like a Granny Smith which is tart. Your second choice should be fairly sweet like a beautiful Gala apple. Your last choice should be a little sweet and a little tart. You could choose a Baldwin, a Gravenstein or a Jonathan.

The most important part of making an apple pie is including others! Get your spouse or kiddies into the kitchen to help. If you like making pies in the quietness of your cozy kitchen-enjoy!

Happy holidays everyone! May you have much to be thankful for!

Crumbly Apple Pie

Crust

1 1/4 c. King Arthur all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. granulated sugar
1 2 c. unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/2 tbsp. sour cream
2 to 3 tbsp. ice water

Filling
7 apples, thinly sliced (it’s best to choose more than one variety)
1/2 c. granulated sugar
Juice and zest of one lemon
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Topping

3/4 c. light brown sugar
3/4 c. King Arthur unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/3 c. butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

Place oven rack in the lowest position. Preheat oven to 400F.

Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse to combine. Add the sour cream and give pulse.

Sprinkle 1 tbsp. of ice water over the mixture and pulse until dough comes off the sides. Add more ice water if needed, one tablespoon at a time. Shape dough into a ball with your hands and flatten into a disk. Dust with flour, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before rolling out.

To roll out the dough, lightly dust the rolling pin and counter top with a little flour. Roll the dough into a circle that measures 20 inches larger than the pie pan you are using. Lightly flour the top of the dough. Fold the dough in half, then in half again. Place the folded dough in the prepared pan and unfold. Trim the excess dough to half an inch and fold under around the edges. After shaping, chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before filling or baking.

Prepare the filling by simple mixing the ingredients together. Prick the bottom of your pie crust and place the filling inside.

Prepare the topping in a small bowl. Mix together brown sugar, flour and nutmeg. using a pastry cutter or food processor, cut butter into the dry ingredients until they resemble coarse crumbs. Sprinkle all over your apple filling!

Bake your pie about 35 minutes or until the filling is bubbly. If your pie is overbrowing, loosely place some aluminum foil around the edges.

Transfer and let pie completely before cutting into-you can do it!

Classic Apple Pie

Recipe for Double Pie Crust

2.5 c. King Arthur all-purpose unbleached flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1 c. unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1 tbsp. sour cream
4 to 5 tbsp. ice water
1 egg beaten, for brushing top crust later

Filling
7 apples, thinly sliced (it’s best to choose more than one variety)
1/2 c. granulated sugar
Juice and zest of one lemon
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse to combine. Add the sour cream and give pulse.

Sprinkle 3 tbsp. of ice water over the mixture and pulse until dough comes off the sides. Add more ice water if needed, one tablespoon at a time. Divide the dough in half, shape each piece into a ball with your hands and flatten into a disk. Dust each half lightly with four, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before rolling out.

Prepare the filling by simple mixing the ingredients together.

To roll out the dough, lightly dust the rolling pin and counter top with a little flour. Using one disk (half the recipe) roll the dough into a circle that measures 20 inches larger than the pie pan you are using. Lightly flour the top of the dough. Fold the dough in half, then in half again. Place the folded dough in the prepared pan and unfold. Trim the excess dough to half an inch and fold under around the edges. After shaping, chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before filling or baking.

Using a fork, prick the bottom of your crust. Place your beautiful apple filling inside. Cover with your second pie crust. Be sure to cut pretty slits in your crust so that the steam can evaporate-otherwise you will have a soggy crust. Brush beaten egg over top and sprinkle raw or turbinado sugar all over the top of your crust.

Bake fro 40 minutes or until browned and lovely! You can cover sides of your pie crust with aluminum foil if they brown too quickly.