Apple Pie

It is easy to appreciate that the low round pie shape of modern apple pie comes from the frugal Pilgrims settlers looking for a way to stretch ingredients and survive.  Pie is a delicious way to deliver cooked fruit or meat to the table. The idea of a bowl of cooked fruit is not as appealing as the balance of the fruit to crust ratio of a pie.  Yet, the frugal Pilgrims' version was too much for me as I have not always been a fan of cooked fruit encased in a delicious crust.  I remember not liking a fast food hot apple pie as a child or my grandmother’s frozen boxed pies served for dessert.  I remember my mom making apple pie just the way I like it, now, not too sweet and syrupy but sadly I don’t remember eating her apple pie except as a vehicle to eat whipped cream and crust with the sweet filling squeezed out.  Thank goodness things have changed, I love the smell, taste, and texture of, especially, apple pie. 

I always double this recipe (apples only).  I make an apple pie for the table and one to freeze for later.  In a foil and plastic wrap lined pie plate add in the apple mixture, wrap and freeze.  When ready to bake the frozen pie, prepare crust, add the frozen unwrapped pie in the crust, cover with second crust and proceed as below.  Bake for 10 – 15 minutes longer until done.  Do not thaw the apples.  This is a beautiful way to have a dessert on hand for nearly any occasion.

Apple Pie

makes 1 pie

7-8 tart apples such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala or a mix

¾ cup sugar

2 tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Dash of nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter

Pie pastry for 2 crusts (see below).

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Peel and slice apples thin. (I use a spiral apple peeler).

Place peeled apples in a large bowl of with lemon juice from a lemon squeezed into the water until all apples are peeled.

In a bowl toss the well-drained apples with the cinnamon, nutmeg, flour sugar, and salt.

Roll out crust and line a 9 inch pie plate.

Empty the filling into the crust lined pie plate and top with butter.

Roll out second crust and carefully place on top of pie.

Press edges together and trim edges to 1 inch.

Crimp edges with thumb and index finger of one hand, gently press dough against knuckle of other hand; continue around pie making deep indentations.

Chill pie for 30 minutes.

Place on a foil lined baking sheet.

Bake for 50 minutes until done.

If the edges began to darken, cover with foil.

Pie Crust Pastry

Makes top and bottom

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

8 ounces (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup ice water without cubes

In a food processor:

Pulse flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor until combined.

Add butter, and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds.

With the machine running, add water in a slow, steady stream until mixture just begins to hold together.

Shape dough into 2 disks. Wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate 1 hour to 2 days (or freeze for up to 1 month; thaw in refrigerator before using).

Flavorful Apple Cake

This cake is an extraordinary apple cake – upon first bite, your palate shouts ‘apples’ then the flavor mellows to a deep apple and cinnamon spiciness.  If you make this apple cake, your family or friends will wonder how you infused the deep apple flavor in this cake.  They may say it tastes like apple pie but wonder at the tender cake crumb and the lack of apple chunks.  They may wonder if you used artificial flavorings but dismiss the notion after a second bite as the flavor is so real - it is like biting into an apple.    They may wonder if a Calvados or apple brandy was used but then notice the lack of a liquor zing.  This cake will keep people guessing.  This is not your ordinary applesauce spice cake where applesauce adds moisture and can even replace the fat but not much flavor.  The main event in this cake is the apples with a tender and just moist enough crumb.

The secret is cooking the apples in a low temperature oven until soft enough to puree then return the pureed apples to the oven to evaporate even more liquid and intensify the apple flavor.  Use a tart, flavorful apple but the best apples to use are the ones that have been long forgotten in the back of your vegetable crisper and are too soft to eat out of hand and may even have a slight ferment smell.  

I frosted my cake with a thin layer of smooth whipped cream frosting (recipe below) or a simple sifting of 1 tablespoon of confectioner’s sugar is another option.  I halved the recipe featured in the photos, and made a single 9-inch round cake.

Flavorful Apple Cake

2 9-inch round cakes or 1 9-inch Bundt pan

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 ¾ sticks of  butter or 14 tablespoons, at room temperature

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 ½ cups apple puree (recipe below-prepare ahead of time)

Preheat your oven to 350 F.

Butter and flour pan(s) and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, all-spice, nutmeg and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed.  

Add eggs, one at a time, making sure each one is fully incorporated before adding the next.

Add the apple puree and beat until fully incorporated.

Gradually add flour mixture and mix on the lowest speed.

Transfer batter into prepared pan (s) and smooth.

Bake for 50 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for 15 minutes.

Turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

Apple Puree

4-5 pounds tart apples

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Peel, core and cut apples into large pieces.

Place on a 13 by 9 inch glass baking dish. 

Bake for 1 hour or until soft. 

Stir halfway through add up to a ¼ cup of water if the apples are drying out.

Drop temperature 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Puree baked apples in a blender; Cuisinart (or use an immersion blender) and puree until smooth.

Return the apple puree back into the glass baking dish and spread evenly.

Bake, stirring and smoothing two or three times during the baking cycle to prevent a crust from forming on top.

Bake for 50-60 minutes. 

If there is too much moisture remove the foil halfway through, just make sure it doesn’t dry out completely.

You are making a dry applesauce that is thick and soft.

If it is too dry add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water at the puree stage.

Recipe adapted from Café Fernando

Smooth Whipped Cream Frosting

1 cup heavy cream

3-5 tablespoons granulated sugar (add more or less sugar to your preference)

¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

Chill your bowl and whisk of your stand mixer, in the freezer or refrigerator 15 minutes prior to mixing.

Add the cream to a mixer with the whisk attachment and set to a low speed*.

Add the sugar and vanilla to the mixture slowly.

Whisk for around 10 to 15 minutes, until the mixture begins to ripple.

Turn the mixer off and finish whisking by hand, until the mixture starts to stiffen and sticks to the whisk.

Be careful not to whisk too hard or the frosting will become clumpy.

*This method of mixing your whip cream produces a thick, smooth and stable whipped cream that will not breakdown and become runny.  The low speed forms small air bubbles that create a stable structure in the cream.  Whipping cream fast creates large unstable air bubbles that collapse and run.