Apple Pie Filling

• 1 cup apple cider
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 8 cups Granny Smith apples*, peeled, cored, and sliced into 1/4-inch slices

Pie Dough

• 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 cup ice water, or as needed

Garnish

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
• Egg wash (1 egg whisked well)
• Turbinado sugar (coarse sugar), as needed

Making the Apple Filling

1. In a large saucepan on medium-high heat, bring apple cider, brown sugar, spices, salt, and lemon juice to a boil.
2. In a small mixing bowl, combine water and cornstarch and mix it into the boiling liquid using a whisk. The sauce should be very thick and caramel-like in consistency.
3. Add apples, tossing occasionally to coat with the sauce. Cook until slightly tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Spread apples onto a cookie sheet and cool at room temperature.

Making the Dough

1. Cut butter into small cubes (about 1/2 to 1 inch). Combine flour, salt, and sugar. Toss butter with the flour mixture. Cut the fat into the flour using a food processor, pastry blender, or two knives. Leave some butter in larger pieces, about the size of a pea.
2. Drizzle a few tablespoons of the ice water over the surface of the flour mixture. Use a fork to push and smear the dough, rubbing it against the side of the bowl. Continue to add the water, a tablespoon or so at time, just until it holds together when you press a handful of it into a ball. It should be evenly moist, not wet, and shaggy or rough in appearance.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gather and press the dough into a ball. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Pat each into an even disk, wrap well, and chill in the refrigerator at least 20 minutes and up to overnight.

Lining the Pie Plate

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Unwrap one disk of dough (keep the other in the refrigerator), place it on a lightly floured work surface, and scatter a little flour over the top. Roll out dough into an even round about 13 inches in diameter. It should be about 1/8-inch thick.
2. Fold dough in half and gently lift and position it over the pan. Unfold dough, easing it into the pan without stretching it. Press the dough gently against the sides and bottom. Trim the overhang to 1 inch. Chill the dough-lined pan for 20 minutes.

Filling the Pie

1. Mound apples in the dough-lined pan, making the center higher than the sides. Dot the top evenly with the remaining pieces of butter. Brush the rim of the pie shell with egg wash.
2. Roll out second piece of dough into an 11-inch round and place over the filling. Cut vents into the dough round. Press together the top and bottom edges to seal, trim the excess dough so that the edges of the dough are almost even with the edges of the pan, and then crimp or flute the edges. Brush top with egg wash and sprinkle liberally with turbinado sugar.

Baking the Pie

1. Place pie on a baking sheet, transfer to oven, and bake for 15 minutes.
2. Lower temperature to 350 degrees F and bake, rotating pan as necessary for even browning, until the top crust is golden brown and the apples are tender, 35 to 40 minutes.
3. Remove pie from oven and cool on a wire rack. Let pie rest for 20 minutes before slicing.

—Tom Vaccaro ’85, Certified Master Baker and dean—baking and pastry arts, CIA

Special thanks to CIA alumna Casey Platt ’12, manager-in-training, Continuing Education Department, for sharing her expertise in testing this apple pie recipe.