Nothing is more heart-warming and welcoming than the scent of a freshly baked old fashioned apple pie. When it comes to specific apple varieties, I have tried many of the usual recommendations, but McIntosh is the one that finally won me over. In fact, so enamored am I with this particular apple when it comes to pie, I once packed a whole suitcase full when I couldn't get them in my hometown. If you prefer an apple pie filling that is irresistibly aromatic, lusciously soft, and beguilingly sweet and tart at the same time, then you might also fall in love with this old fashioned apple pie starring the McIntosh apple.
The first step to making this old fashioned apple pie is butter pie crust.
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Ingredients for Old Fashioned Apple Pie
- butter pie crust
- McIntosh apples
- lemon
- flour
- baker's sugar
- light brown sugar
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
- kosher salt
- unsalted butter
- egg white (optional for brushing the crust and dusting with sugar before baking)
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
First, prepare the dough for the butter pie crust using the recipe linked above. Set the dough aside in the refrigerator. It will need to rest for at least an hour before it can be rolled out to assemble the pie. (The dough can also be prepared the day before.)
Peel the apples, cut them in half, and remove their cores. (A small melon baller is a very handy tool for this task.) Then cut each half into slices about an eighth to a quarter of an inch thick.
Place the apple slices in a large bowl and pour the lemon juice over the top. Toss the apples well to coat thoroughly with the lemon juice.
Place all of the dry ingredients in a small bowl and whisk them together, breaking up any lumps of brown sugar as you mix (if the lumps are stubborn, use your fingers to crush them).
Then add the mixture of dry ingredients to the apples and stir well to distribute it evenly throughout. When everything has been sufficiently combined, the apples will be covered in a sticky cinnamon-scented paste.
Lightly flour your rolling surface and take the larger disk of crust dough out of the refrigerator to begin softening enough to roll. In the meantime, place a baking sheet lined with tinfoil into the oven and heat to 425 degrees F.
Assembling Old Fashioned Apple Pie
As soon as the crust dough is pliable enough to work with a rolling pin, roll it into a rough circle that is large enough to fit into your pie plate with some excess hanging over the edges.
When you are ready to transfer the crust dough into your pie plate, gently wrap it up around the rolling pin. Dust off any excess flour clinging to the underside edges of the dough as you gather it onto the rolling pin.
Then simply unfurl the crust dough over the pie plate, adjusting to keep it roughly centered as you go. Carefully press the dough down into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.
After pressing the crust dough into the bottom and sides of the pie plate, fold under all the overhanging crust dough around the edges of the pie plate and shape it into a relatively neat border.
Next pour the apple mixture into the bottom crust and spread around, slightly mounding it in the center.
Then dot the butter evenly across the apple mixture before moving on to the top crust.
For the top crust, roll out the smaller disk of dough into a rough circle large enough to cover the apples and extend a bit beyond the edge of the bottom crust. Apply a little cold water to the edge of the bottom crust before gently placing the dough for the top crust over the apples and then pressing all around the edges to seal. Tuck under the excess dough and then crimp the border.
Baking Old Fashioned Apple Pie
Once the pie has been assembled, I recommend glazing the top crust with a bit of egg white and sugar before baking. (Entirely optional, but it really adds to the finished beauty and texture.)
Add a pinch of salt to the egg white and whisk until it is frothy.
Then lightly brush the frothy egg white over the top and edges of the unbaked pie.
Next sprinkle the sugar evenly over the top and edges of the pie. Then with a sharp knife, cut a few vents into the top crust. (Both for decorative reasons and the practical purpose of releasing steam as the pie bakes.)
Finally, place the pie onto the preheated baking sheet in the oven. Bake the pie at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes. Then turn the heat down to 375 degrees F and bake another 35 to 45 minutes more, for a grand total baking time of 50 minutes to an hour.
Let the pie cool for at least four hours before slicing and serving.
Hint: Be sure to check on the pie about half way through the baking time, and if the edges are beginning to get too brown for your taste, cover them with a pie crust shield.
Equipment
For this recipe, I always rely on my deepest ceramic pie plate from Emile Henry.
Serving Suggestion
I highly recommend serving this old fashioned apple pie a la mode. With a large scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, it is truly storybook apple pie.
Storage
This pie can be stored at room temperature for up to three days. Just cover it very loosely with plastic wrap.
📖 Recipe
Old Fashioned Apple Pie
Equipment
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 pastry brush
- 1 metal baking sheet
- 1 deep pie plate
Ingredients
- 1 batch butter pie crust dough
- about 8 McIntosh apples
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice about one lemon
- 5 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ¼ cup caster sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
For the Glaze (optional)
- 1 egg white
- sprinkle caster sugar
Instructions
- First, prepare the crust dough using the recipe for butter pie crust. Set the dough aside in the refrigerator to rest for at least an hour.
- Peel the apples, cut them in half, and remove their cores. Then cut each half into slices about an eighth to a quarter of an inch thick.
- Place the apple slices in a large bowl and pour over the lemon juice. Toss well to coat them thoroughly with the lemon juice.
- Place all of the dry ingredients in a small bowl and whisk them together, breaking up any lumps of brown sugar.
- Add the mixture of dry ingredients to the apples and stir to distribute evenly throughout. When everything is combined, the apples will be covered in a sticky cinnamon-scented paste.
- Lightly flour a rolling surface and take the dough for the bottom crust out of the refrigerator to begin softening a bit. In the meantime, place a baking sheet lined with tinfoil into the oven and heat to 425°F.
Assembling the Pie
- As soon as the crust dough is pliable enough to work with a rolling pin, roll it into a rough circle large enough to fit into a pie plate with some excess hanging over the edges.
- Gently wrap the dough around the rolling pin, dusting off any excess flour clinging to the underside edges of the dough while gathering it onto the pin.
- Unfurl the bottom crust dough over the pie plate and carefully press it down into the bottom and sides of the dish. Fold under the overhanging portions all around the edges of the pie plate.
- Pour the apple mixture into the bottom crust and spread throughout the pie plate, slightly mounding it in the center.
- Dot the butter evenly across the apple mixture before moving on to preparation of the top crust.
- Roll out the smaller disk of dough into a rough circle large enough to cover the apples and extend a bit beyond the edge of the bottom crust.
- Apply a little cold water to the edge of the bottom crust before gently placing the dough for the top crust over the apples and then pressing all around the edges to seal. Tuck under the excess dough and crimp all around the border of the crust.
Baking the Pie
- To glaze the pie before baking (strongly recommended), first beat the egg white with a pinch of salt until it is frothy.
- Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the frothy egg white over the top and edges of the unbaked pie and then sprinkle over the sugar.
- With a sharp knife, cut a few vents into the top crust.
- Place the pie on the preheated baking sheet in the oven. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. Then turn the heat down to 375°F and bake for another 35 to 45 minutes more (for a grand total of 50 minutes to an hour), or until the crust is deeply golden and the apples feel soft when pierced with a knife through the vents in the crust.
- Let the pie cool for at least four hours before serving.
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