Easy Apple Pie
Description
I call this easy apple pie, because it is, but also because if I have the time to make a truly perfect apple pie, then I’ll use a recipe from my ‘Pie and Pastry Bible’, and reduce and caramelize the juices etc., but it takes a bit longer. This recipe is borrowed from my in-laws and they said that it’s based on the one from the Joy of Cooking. If your pastry is made, this should only take 10-15 minutes to get into the oven…and again, I always use deep Pyrex pie plates.
Ingredients
Easy Apple Pie
6–8 apples, depending on the size, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (I find 7 ‘medium’ sized is a perfect amount)
2/3 c. sugar (I use more if baking with the tart apples from our tree)
2 t. lemon juice AND 1/4 t. salt
1/4 – 1/2 t. cinnamon AND 1/8 t. nutmeg
1 1/2 – 2 T. corn starch – depending on how juicy the apples are
Instructions
Combine all together in a large bowl and allow it to sit while you roll out your pastry. Give it a good stir before putting it into the pie and make sure that the pie ‘lid’ has holes in it for venting.
((**Update – no matter how little time you may have, pies always seem to work better if you allow the fruit to macerate and then reduce the juices. So, combine the apples, sugar, lemon juice, salt and spices in a large bowl and allow them to sit and macerate for about 15 minutes – though I often end up leaving them for a couple of hours. Give them another good stir and then drain them through a colander (into another bowl), reserving the juice.
Either in the microwave or in a small pot on the stove, simmer the juices with 1 tablespoon of butter until they are reduced by at least half, toss the apples with the cornstarch, and start getting the pastry ready.
Once the juices are reduced and your first sheet of pastry is lining the pie plate, pour the reduced juices into the apples, give it all a good stir and and then pour the filling into the pie plate.**))
Bake at 450 for 10 minutes and then turn the heat down to 350 for about another 45 minutes. Usually about half way through cooking, I use a pie ring to cover the edges of the crust so that it doesn’t get too dark. If I’m making a galette, I definitely reduce the juices, the baking time is the same, though instead of a pie ring, I cover the whole thing with a piece of foil for about half the cooking time to keep it from getting too brown. Yum!
- Category: Pie, Apple
