APPLE PIE

APPLE PIE

   The problem with baking thick apple pies is that the apples shrink as they cook, leaving a gap between the crust and the apples, which usually collapses upon cooling. You will have a nice mound of filling for this pie which will not collapse.

For the crust, make the pate brisee from the recipe in the pie section-this is the only recipe for pie crust I use.

Filling
1/2 teaspoon of grated lemon zest
1/2 cup sugar (white granulated)
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
5 lbs of Golden Delicious apples (they are less inclined to fall apart when cooked) peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 Tbsp. of lemon juice and
2 Tbsp. butter

Toss with apples: the lemon zest, 1/2 cup white sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar, salt, ground ginger, and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl. Transfer apples to a large, thick-bottomed covered pan or Dutch oven and cook, covered, over medium heat, stirring frequently, until apples are just tender when poked with a fork, but still hold their shape - about 15 to 20 minutes. Put apples in a colander over a bowl to drain excess liquid. Return the juices to the pan and reduce to a syrup. Combine the apples and syrup in a bowl and continue to cool until ready to fill the pie shell.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees with a baking sheet on a rack on the lowest rung of the oven.

While the apples are cooling,remove one crust disk from the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle some flour on top of the disk. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12 inch circle; about 1/8 of an inch thick. As you roll out the dough, use a metal spatula to check if the dough is sticking to the surface below. Add a few sprinkles of flour if necessary to keep the dough from sticking. Gently fold in half. Place on to a 9-inch pie plate, lining up the fold with the center of the pan. Gently unfold and press down to line the pie dish with the dough.
Add the apple filling to the dough-lined pie pan. Sprinkle on 1 Tbsp of lemon juice. Dot with butter.
Roll out second disk of dough, as before. Gently turn over onto the top of the apples in the pie. Pinch top and bottom of dough rounds firmly together. Trim excess dough with kitchen shears, leaving a 3/4 inch overhang. Fold dough under itself so that the edge of the fold is flush with the edge of the pan. Flute edges using thumb and forefinger or press with a fork. Score the top of the pie with four 2-inch long cuts, so that steam from the cooking pie can escape. Beat egg yolk with cream and brush on the surface of the pie with a pastry brush.

Set pie on preheated, foil-lined baking sheet (to catch any juices that may escape from the pie while cooking). Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 375 degrees and cook for an additional 50 minutes, until filling bubbles in the center and crust turns golden brown. If the edges of the pie seem to be in danger of burning crimp a long sheet of aluminum foil around the edges of the pan. Cool on a wire rack for 1 1/2 hours. Cut into wedges and serve with vanilla ice cream.  The Caramel Sauce in the Banana Cream Pie post elevates this pie to a legend.

Yield: Serves 6 to 8.