Pie and Pastry Bible (25 page)

In a large bowl, combine the apples, lemon juice, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and toss to mix. Allow the apples to macerate at room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes and a maximum of 3 hours.

Transfer the apples and their juices to a colander suspended over a bowl to capture the liquid. The mixture will release at least ½ cup of liquid.

In a small saucepan (preferably lined with a nonstick surface), over medium-high heat, boil down this liquid, with the butter, to about
cup (a little more if you started with more than ½ cup of liquid), or until syrupy and lightly caramelized. Swirl the liquid but do not stir it. (Alternatively, spray a 4-cup heatproof measure with nonstick vegetable spray, add the liquid and butter, and boil it in the microwave, 6 to 7 minutes on high.) Meanwhile, transfer the apples to a bowl and toss them with the cornstarch until all traces of it have disappeared.

Pour the syrup over the apples, tossing gently. (Do not be concerned if the liquid hardens on contact with the apples; it will dissolve during baking.)

Roll out the top crust large enough to cut a 12-inch circle. Use an expandable flan ring or a cardboard template and a sharp knife as a guide to cut the circle.

Transfer the apple mixture to the pie shell. Moisten the border of the bottom crust by brushing it lightly with water and place the top crust over the fruit. Tuck the overhang under the bottom crust border and press down all around the top to seal it. Crimp the border using a fork or your fingers (see page 13) and make about 5 evenly spaced 2-inch slashes starting about 1 inch from the center and radiating—toward the edge. Cover the pie loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 1 hour before baking to chill and relax the pastry. This will maintain flakiness and help to keep the crust from shrinking.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. at least 20 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack at the lowest level and place a baking stone or baking sheet on it before preheating. Place a large piece of greased foil on top to catch any juices.

Set the pie directly on the foil-topped baking stone and bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until the juices bubble through the slashes and the apples feel tender but not mushy when a cake tester or small sharp knife is inserted through a slash. After 30 minutes, protect the edges from overbrowning with a foil ring (see page 19).

Cool the pie on a rack for at least 4 hours before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature.

VARIATIONS

BRANDIED RAISIN APPLE PIE
My cousin Susan Butterfass’s superb apple pie, which I have enjoyed many a Thanksgiving, has a special touch. She uses three different varieties of apples for contrast in texture and flavor. She also macerates ½ cup of raisins in 3 tablespoons of warm brandy for 20 minutes, drains them, and adds the plumped raisins to the apple mixture just before placing them in the pie crust.

PURE PEAR PIE
I use no spices in this pie filling, opting to make the pear the star. Aside from eliminating the cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar, and decreasing the sugar a little, all the other ingredients remain the same. If the pie is stored at room temperature for 3 days, the pear flavor actually intensifies but the crust remains crisp.

Replace the apples with an equal number or weight of firm but ripe Bartlett or Bosc pears. Cut them in half and core them. Slice them lengthwise into sixteenths, % inch to ½ inch thick. (Pears are softer than apples, so they can be sliced thicker.) You will have 6 scant cups/32 ounces/907 grams. Sprinkle them with the 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 6 tablespoons (2.6 ounces/75 grams) of sugar, and the ¼ teaspoon of salt. Boil down the juices with the butter as for the apples. Toss the pears with the cornstarch, and proceed as for the Best All-American Pie.

STORE

Room temperature, up to 3 days.

POINTERS FOR SUCCESS

Some of my favorite pie apples are Macoun, Stayman-Winesap, Cortland, and Jonathan. Other great baking apples I’ve discovered that are available around the country are listed on page 635. In the winter, I use Granny Smith or Golden Delicious apples from the supermarket, which also make a marvelous pie.

To core and slice the apples, cut them in half and use a melon baller to scoop out the core. Slice each half into eighths and then each piece into 3 pieces or 4 if the apples are very large. The slices must be no thicker than ¼ inch.

As you slice the raw apples, toss them occasionally with the sugar mixture to coat them, to prevent them from turning brown.

If you adore cinnamon, use the full amount. For a milder flavor, use ½ to 1 teaspoon.

As the pie bakes, the bubbling juices are very sticky. If you have a Teflon-type liner (see page 666), place it on top of the foil-topped baking stone under the pie pan for ease in cleanup.

UNDERSTANDING

The apples must be sliced fairly thin so that they can lie closely together. Thick slices mean more air space between them. As they cook and soften, the air space disappears and the apples sink lower in the pan, leaving a gap between them and the crust.

OPEN-FACED DESIGNER APPLE PIE

A
rranging the apple slices in a flower petal formation may be work for the cook, but it sure provides luxurious eating for your lucky guests. This pie has an exceptionally crisp bottom crust under a juicy filling of caramelized, cinnamony apples made tangy and glistening with a gilding of apricot preserves. The border is a wreath of leaves cut from the pie crust.

OVEN TEMPERATURE: 425°F. • BAKING TIME: 65 TO 75 MINUTES SERVES: 8
INGREDIENTS	MEASURE	WEIGHT
VOLUME	OUNCES	GRAMS
*If the apples are very tart, add up to ¼ cup more sugar.
Flaky Cream Cheese Pie Crust for a 2-crust 9-inch pie (page 30)		22 ounces	624 grams
½ egg white, lightly beaten	1 tablespoon	0.5 ounce	15 grams
2½ pounds baking apples (see page 635; about 6 medium), peeled, cored, and sliced inch thick	8 cups (sliced)	2 pounds 907 grams (sliced)
freshly squeezed lemon juice	1 tablespoon	0.5 ounce	16 grams
light brown sugar	¼ cup, packed	2 ounces	54 grams
granulated sugar	¼ cup*	1.75 ounces	50 grams
ground cinnamon	½ to 1½ teaspoons	•	•
nutmeg, preferably freshly grated	¼ teaspoon	•	•
salt	¼ teaspoon	•	•
unsalted butter	2 tablespoons	1 ounce	28 grams
cornstarch	1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon	0.5 ounce	13 grams
1 large egg, lightly beaten	3 tablespoons	2 ounces	56 grams
apricot preserves	¼ cup	3 ounces	85 grams