Classic Apple Pie
adapted from Epicurious.com ^[7]

Make this pie with a combination of tart apples, such as Granny Smith, and sweet varieties like Fuji, Jonagold, or Golden Delicious. If you’re not inclined to make your own pie crust, you can substitute a pre-made refrigerated crust. Your pie will still be wonderful.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/2 pounds apples, peeled, cored, and each cut into 10 wedges
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons applesauce (optional)
2 tablespoons brandy or dark rum (optional)
1 batch All Butter, Really Flaky Pie Dough (recipe follows)
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions:

Put a large baking sheet on the middle of oven and preheat oven to 425°F.

Whisk together flour, zest, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and 2/3 cup sugar. Gently toss with apples, lemon juice and applesauce, brandy or rum, if using. Set aside while preparing crust.

For the bottom crust, roll out 1 disk of pie dough (keep remaining disk chilled) on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round. Roll the dough from the center out, turning the dough in one quarter turns as you roll. Fit the round into a 9-inch ceramic, glass or metal pie plate. Trim edge, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Chill while rolling out dough for the top crust.

For the top crust, roll out remaining piece of dough on the lightly floured surface with the rolling pin into an 11-inch round.

Spoon apple filling into shell, then cover with the top crust and trim with kitchen shears, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Press edges together, then crimp decoratively. Lightly brush top of pie with egg and sprinkle the top with the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Cut a few steam vents in the top crust with a small sharp knife.

Bake pie on the hot baking sheet for 20 minutes. The baking sheet will catch any drips and spills. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F and continue to bake until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling, about 40 minutes more. Cool pie on a rack until warm, about 2 hours, before serving.

Makes one 9-inch pie.

All Butter, Really Flaky Pie Dough
adapted from Smitten Kitchen ^[3]

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) very cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Directions:

Gather your ingredients: Fill a one cup liquid measuring cup with ice cold water. Whisk together the flour, sugar and salt in a very large bowl. Get out your pastry blender, if you have one. If not, just wash your hands really well.

Make your mix: Sprinkle the butter cubes over the flour and begin working them in with the pastry blender, using it to scoop and redistribute the mixture as needed so all parts are worked evenly. Alternatively, you can use your fingers to rub the butter into the flower mixture. Stop when all of the butter pieces are the size of tiny peas, and the mixture looks like course meal.

Make the dough: Start by drizzling 1/2 cup of the ice-cold water over the butter and flour mixture. Using a rubber or silicone spatula, start gathering the dough together. You’ll probably need an additional 1/4 cup of cold water to bring it together, but only add it one tablespoon at a time. Once you’re pulling large clumps with the spatula, take it out and gather the dough together with your hands into one mound, kneading them gently together.

Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a disk and place each on a large piece of plastic wrap. Let the dough chill in the fridge for at least one hour before rolling it out.

The dough will keep in the fridge for about a week, and in the freezer longer. If not using it that day, wrap it in additional layers of plastic wrap to protect it from fridge/freezer smells. To defrost your dough, move it to the fridge for one day before using it.

Makes enough dough for one double or two single-crust pies.