Unsalted butter – 226 gms (1 cup), chilled, and cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces
Ice water – ¼ to ½ cup
Apple Filling:
Green apples – 1 kg (about 6 large), peeled, cored, and sliced ¼ inch thick
Granulated white sugar – 50 gms (¼ cup)
Light brown sugar – 55 gms (¼ cup)
Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
Ground cinnamon – 1 tsp
Salt – ¼ tsp
Unsalted butter – 2 tbsp
Cornstarch (corn flour) – 1 & ½ tbsp
Softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream to serve (optional)
Instructions
Pie Crust:
In a food processor, place the flour, salt, and sugar and process until combined. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal (about 15 seconds).
Pour ¼ cup (60 ml) water in a slow, steady stream, through the feed tube until the dough just holds together when pinched. If necessary, add more water. Do not process more than 30 seconds.
Turn the dough onto your work surface and gather into a ball. Divide the dough in half, flattening each half into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about one hour before using. This will chill the butter and relax the gluten in the flour.
After the dough has chilled sufficiently, remove one portion of the dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry into a 12 inch (30 cm) circle. (To prevent the pastry from sticking to the counter and to ensure uniform thickness, keep lifting up and turning the pastry a quarter turn as you roll (always roll from the center of the pastry outwards).) Fold the dough in half and gently transfer to a 9 inch (23 cm) pie pan. Brush off any excess flour and trim the edges of the pastry to fit the pie pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.
Then remove the second round of pastry and roll it into a 12 inch (30 cm) circle. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator.
Apple Filling:
In a large bowl combine the sliced apples with the sugars, lemon juice, ground cinnamon and salt. Set aside at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to three hours.
Then place the apples and their juices in a strainer that is placed over a large bowl to capture the juices. Let the apples drain for about 15-30 minutes or until you have about ½ cup of juice.
Then pour in the collected juice into a microwave safe bowl and add 2 tablespoons (28 grams) of unsalted butter to it. Microwave and boil the liquid, on high, about 5 to 7 minutes or until the liquid has reduced to about ⅓ cup (80 ml) and is syrupy and lightly caramelized. (Alternatively, you could place the juices and butter in a small saucepan and boil over medium high heat on the stove.)
Meanwhile, remove the top pastry crust from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes so that it has time to soften.
Transfer the drained apples slices to a large bowl and mix them with the corn flour. Then pour the reduced apple syrup over the apples and toss to combine. Pour the apples and their syrup into the chilled pie crust.
Moisten the edges of the pie shell with a little water and then place the top crust over the apples. Tuck any excess pastry under the bottom crust and then crimp the edges using your fingers or a fork.
Using a sharp knife, make five slits of about 2 inch long from the center of the pie towards the outer edge to allow the steam to escape. Cover the pie with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill the pastry while you preheat the oven.
Preheat the oven to 220 C / 425 F. Place the oven rack at the lowest level and place a baking sheet on the rack before preheating the oven. Place a piece of aluminum foil on the pan to catch any over-flowing apple juices.
Set the pie on the pan and bake for about 45 to 55 minutes or until the juices start to bubble through the slits and the apples feel tender, but not mushy, when a toothpick or sharp knife is inserted through one of the slits. Make sure to cover the edges of the pie with a foil ring to prevent over browning after about 30 minutes.
Remove the pie from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 3-4 hours before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Store at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
Recipe by Flavor Quotient at https://www.flavorquotient.com/2015/12/classic-apple-pie/