Apple pie is an old-time favorite that never goes out of style. It’s a classic pie that brings comfort and warmth with every bite. Whether it’s for a holiday gathering, a special occasion, or just a regular weekend treat, apple pie always hits the spot.
What makes this pie truly special is its flaky, tender crust that comes together quickly, giving it that perfect texture. The filling is a delicious combination of fresh apples and cinnamon that bakes in a simple yet flavorful sauce.
There are two steps to this amazing apple pie recipe. First you need to prepare the crust and secondly the filling…. and in no time at all you will have a baked pie that’s sure to please everyone at the table.
So lets start with an easy pie crust.
Apple pie crust
Ingredients
315 g All purpose flour, and more for dusting
226 g Butter, unsalted and Cold
7,5 ml Sugar, granulated
2,5 ml Salt
105 ml Water, Ice cold
Directions
First, sift together the flour, salt and add the sugar. Then dice the butter in smaller blocks. Using a food processor add the flour mixture to the bowl along with the diced butter. Now, pulse the mixture together until course pea-size crumbs form.
Ensure that the mixture remains crumbly. Next add the water and pulse it together just until a soft balls starts form. Test if there is enough water by pressing some of the dough between your fingers: if the dough sticks together, it is ready. If not, add a tablespoon of water and mix again. Check the dough again, if not ready repeat the step. Be careful not too add to much water.
After that, transfer the dough to a clean working surface and press the it into a ball. Do not knead the dough – it should look slightly underworked. Finally, divide the dough into two disks and cover it tightly with cling wrap. Place the dough in the fridge to rest for 1 hour.
While the dough is resting, start with the pie filling.
Apple pie filling
Ingredients
6-7 Apples (around 1Kg), peeled, cored and thinly slice
120 ml Butter
25ml Flour, all purpose
7.5ml Cinnamon, grounded
2.5ml Nutmeg (Optional)
60ml Water
200g Sugar, Granulated
1 egg
Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 210˚C (This temperature will be reduces after 15 minutes of baking)
Grease a 23cm pie dish and set aside.
Place the sliced apples in a bowl and sprinkle the cinnamon over them, carefully stir until all the apples are coated. Set the apples aside for later.
Next make the apple pie sauce. In a medium size saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour and allow the mixture to simmer for a minute. Followed by the water, sugar and nutmeg. Bring the mixture to boil then lower the heat and slowly simmer for around 4 minutes. Finally remove from the heat and set aside.
Apple Pie – Bringing it all together
Back to the dough, remove the dough from the fridge and unwrap it. Lightly sprinkle a little flour on a clean working surface. Next, roll out the first disk into a circle, roughly about 30 cm in diameter. Carefully transfer the rolled-out dough to the prepared pie dish. Ensuring that the dough lines the pie dish completely, including the sides.
Then add the apples to the pie shell, heaping them slightly in the center of the pie. After that, pour the apple pie sauce evenly over the apple slices. Be careful not to let the sauce spill onto the edges of the pie, as this will make the pie difficult to seal.
Now, roll out the second disk of dough to around 28cm. Cut into 10 even strips. Arrange the strips as a woven lattice over the top of the pie dish. Trim the excess dough from the sides and fold over the edges of the pie shell to seal the sides. Finally, beat the egg and brush over the top of the lattice.
Bake the pie for the first 15 minutes at 210˚C, then reduce the heat to 170˚C with-out removing the pie from the oven. Continue baking for around 45 minutes. The apple filling should be bubbling through the lattice.
Remove the pie from the oven and allow the apple pie to cool down to room temperature. It is important for the pie to cool down as the filling sets.
Enjoy this apple pie just as is, or for a special treat add some freshly whipped cream or a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Enjoy!