Pies are super simple recipes if you let them be. Some will say you have to make your own dough but that’s a lot of work for something that has a lot of risky factors to consider.
For myself, I don’t have a food processor or pastry cutter, I don’t have a trusted pie dish, and if you’ve ever made homemade pie dough, it’s extremely tough to get the right consistency. Even THEN, you don’t know how it’s going to turn out once you start rolling.
So I’m making it easy for you guys and simplifying a classic apple pie. Cooking is supposed to be easygoing and enjoyable, and I promise, this will leave you stress-free.
INGREDIENTS
- APPLES – 6-8 medium sized apples, peeled and thinly sliced
(Lobos are a nice balance between sweet and tart, Braeburn works or even a mix between Granny Smith and the mighty Honeycrisp) - 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 – 3 tbsp of cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg
- Juice of half lemon
- 2x Pre-made pie crust, deep-dish (they usually come in a set of 2)
It’s pie time:
1. Preheat your oven to 400°F.
2. Toss cut apples with brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice in a large enough bowl. It’s okay to have some liquid accumulate at the bottom since that will turn thick, goopy and delicious once the cornstarch is activated from baking. You can set this aside or use right away.
3. Bring out your pie crusts from the freezer. You want to let them thaw out for roughly 5 minutes till the dough starts to warm slightly from your touch. Try to time it with the preheat of your oven so they aren’t out too long.
4. Spoon the apples separately into one pie crust. I like to spoon the liquid evenly over the apples and not dump it straight over. Too much at once may soften the crust too much and stop it from cooking through. But by dispersing the liquid, you allow the yummy apple goop to be distributed.
5. Invert the second pie crust onto the first and let it naturally lift away.
Don’t press the crust down though! The apples will steam the dough while baking and then settle into place when pulled from the oven. Crimp the edge of the two crusts together using a fork dipped in water to seal the dough.
[TIP]
If the crust has cracked by accident, you can use a few drops of cold water to lightly press it together again, don’t sabotage your final product if you can help it, am I right?
6. Cut slits in the top of the pie to allow steam to escape — it will also prevent possible crackage. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until you see goopy bubbles that burst slowly. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, prepare your whipped cream, and dig in.
Little Girl, Big Eats 