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My Perfect Homemade Apple Pie Recipe

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This classic apple pie recipe features a flaky homemade shortcrust pastry filled with tender baked Granny Smith apples spiced with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and brown sugar. The pie is topped with a beautiful lattice crust and baked until golden and bubbling, served best with vanilla ice cream or cream for a perfect dessert.

Ingredients

Pie Crust

  • 2 x homemade shortcrust pastry discs (or store-bought)
  • 1 egg, lightly whisked
  • 2 tsp white sugar (granulated, optional)

Apple Pie Filling

  • 2 kg (4 lb) Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled, halved, sliced 1 cm / 1/3″ thick
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 3/4 tsp cooking or kosher salt
  • 1 tsp unsalted butter

Serving

  • Vanilla ice cream or cream

Instructions

  1. Prepare Pie Crust: Make or acquire two shortcrust pastry discs. Roll one disc to fit a 23cm (9″) metal pie tin, trim excess, prick the base 30 times with a fork without piercing through. Cover with cling wrap and freeze for 2 hours to prevent shrinkage.
  2. Preheat Oven and Blind Bake Crust: Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F (180°C fan). Line the chilled pie crust with two sheets of parchment paper arranged in an “X” and fill with baking beads. Blind bake for 25 minutes.
  3. Egg Wash and Finish Blind Bake: Remove the beads using the excess paper, brush the base and sides (excluding the rim) lightly with whisked egg. Return crust to oven for 5 more minutes until light golden and fully cooked. Cool for 15 minutes.
  4. Prepare Lattice: Remove the remaining pastry from fridge 30 minutes prior to use. Roll out dough to 3 mm (1/8″) thickness and cut into twelve 2.5 cm (1″) wide strips. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate until assembly.
  5. Make Apple Filling: Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan). Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl. Toss apple slices with spice mix thoroughly, separating pieces stuck together.
  6. Bake Apple Slices: Spread apples evenly on two large trays. Bake until apples are soft but hold shape, checking from 15 minutes onwards, total bake time may be around 40 minutes. Do not stir or rotate trays during baking.
  7. Drain Apple Juices and Cool: Remove trays, pour off juices into a saucepan while holding apples back with a spatula. Let apples cool on trays about 15 minutes.
  8. Reduce Apple Syrup: Add butter to the collected juices and simmer on low heat until reduced to 80 ml (1/3 cup), becoming syrupy. Cool off stove.
  9. Assemble Pie: Increase oven temperature to 200°C / 400°F (180°C fan). Fill pie crust with two-thirds of the baked apples, pressing gently to remove air pockets. Mound remaining apples on top, then pour syrup over filling and any residual juices.
  10. Add Lattice and Bake: Place lattice strips over pie, trim excess, and seal edges with water. Brush lattice with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, avoiding pooling egg washes. Bake for 45 minutes or until crust is golden and syrup bubbles through lattice.
  11. Cool and Serve: Cool pie at least 3 hours before slicing. For neat slices, refrigerate overnight, turn pie out, then reheat slices in a 180°C (350°F) oven for 10 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or cream.

Notes

  • Use Granny Smith apples for tart flavor and good structural holding during baking. Avoid other apple varieties to prevent dry or overly soft filling.
  • Freezing the crust before blind baking is essential to prevent shrinkage and maintain shape.
  • Baking beads or alternatives like uncooked rice can be used for blind baking to keep crust integrity.
  • Optional sprinkle of white sugar on crust before baking adds sparkle.
  • Egg wash on blind baked crust prevents soggy base by creating a moisture barrier.
  • To make a full pie lid instead of lattice, roll out dough, seal and cut a cross for steam, then bake similarly.
  • Apple baking times vary significantly; start checking at 15 minutes to avoid over or undercooking.
  • Pie is best enjoyed within 24 hours but can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.
  • Leftover pie freezing has not been tested by this author.
  • Recipe credits to French pastry chef Jennifer Pogmore and RecipeTin’s Chef JB for collaborative expertise.

Find it online: https://marthatasty.com/my-perfect-homemade-apple-pie-recipe/