Classic Apple Pie

On a chilly evening, there really is nothing better than warm, slightly spiced apple pie with vanilla bean ice cream. Considering we had soo many apples from our apple picking adventures, I decided to use them in a pie, and the results were worth sharing!

Old Fashioned Apple Pie

From Baker by Nature

Pastry

1 cup ice cold water
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
4 cups all purpose flour
4 tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp salt
4 tbsp granulated sugar
335g very cold butter, cut into cubes

Filling

1 cup apple cider
8 large apples (I used Pink Ladies) cored and thinly sliced
1.5 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 teaspoon milk

Make the pastry. In a spouted glass measuring cup combine the water and apple cider vinegar; place in the freezer until needed (this will get it ice cold).
In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, cornstarch, salt and sugar. Toss in the cols cubes of butter, and blitz until the butter is in pea-sized pieces (took me about 5 seconds!)
Slowly add in about 3/4 of the cold water. We want the dough to mostly come together but have a few dry bits of flour. If the dough is too dry and doesn’t hold together when pinched, add the remaining cold water, one Tabelspoon at a time, just until the dough comes together. Be sure not too add to much liquid here!
Gather the dough together and carefully pour it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently knead the dough into a shaggy ball, about 5 or 6 kneads should do it. Scrape up the dough and form it into two disks. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before use.
Remove one of the dough disks from the fridge 10 minutes before you begin rolling, as dough that is too cold will crack. Lightly flour a rolling pin and your work surface. Set the dough in the middle of the work surface and – beginning from the center of the disc – roll the dough away from you in one firm and even stoke. After each stroke, rotate the disc a quarter turn clockwise and roll again. Lightly sprinkle more flour on the work surface, on the dough, and on the rolling pin as needed. You want to use just enough to prevent the dough from sticking. As your disc of dough becomes larger, be sure not to overstretch the center of the dough. Continue rolling until the dough is 3 inches longer than the pan you are using, and around 1/8″ to a 1/4″ in thickness.
Carefully fold the dough in half and lay it across one side of a buttered pie pan, placing the seam of the dough in the center of the pan. Gently unfold the crust, then use your hands to fit the dough down into the pan, making sure there are no gaps between the dough and the pan. Burst any air bubbles with a fork. Do not pull or stretch the dough here!
Line a baking tray with baking paper. Roll out your second disk of dough. Cut all your shapes/the lattice from this piece, and place them on the baking tray. Place back in the fridge to make them easier to work with.
Place the apple cider in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until you have 1/4 cup of apple cider reduction; about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
In a large bowl combine the sliced apples, apple cider reduction, and apple cider vinegar; toss well to coat the apples, set aside. In medium-sized bowl combine both sugars, spices, flour, and salt. Add the dry mixture to apple mixture and toss well to coat.
Using a slotted spoon, fill the chilled pie crust with the apple filling, leaving excess juices behind. Remove the pie crust strips from the refrigerator and begin creating a lattice pattern, carefully weaving over and under each strip of the opposite direction. Once you’re done weaving, trim any excess dough from the edges. Return the pie back to fridge for 20 minutes.
In the meantime, preheat the oven to 200C. Make an egg wash by whisking together the egg and milk until well combined. Brush the egg wash over the lattice strips and crust of the unbaked pie. Place the pie on a large baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180C, and continue baking for an additional 45 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling. To avoid over browning, you may want to place a piece of aluminium foil on the pie after 30 minutes of baking. Carefully remove the pie from the oven, and place it on a wire rack to cool completely before cutting, about 6 hours.