Old Fashion Apple Pie

While it may not have been invented in this country, there is little more in the culinary world that symbolizes America. When President Hu Jintao of China requested the state dinner celebrating his arrival this week comprise completely American fare the Obama kitchen choose apple pie for dessert. Not only is it a stately symbol, it is a delicious treat, perfect for nearly any occasion–state dinner or just your dinner.

If you’ve browsed recipes you’ve noticed there are numerous variations on this classic. In fact, if you’ve read this blog then you’ve noticed I’ve already posted an apple pie–Apple Pie with a Butter Rum Cream Sauce. That apple pie is a modern version that–after researching more traditional variants–requires a bit more time and work compared to the original, this recipe here. Seeing how easy the classic recipes were inspired me to tackle the original. Like most pies, it is as easy as throwing ingredients together in bowl and throwing that all in a pie dish; the toughest part is peeling and coring the apples.

As always, I advocate a completely-from-scratch method of cooking, so I suggest making your own pie crust. I have a recipe on a stand alone page here. It is very simple and gives you an incomparable results. I advocate from-scratch cooking for two reasons: 1) you will get superbly delicious results–much better than store bought–and 2) you will have complete control over what you ingredients you are eating–no preservatives, chemicals, etc.

This recipe is truly easy. It is easy by my standards and easy by my family’s standards–none of whom enjoy any amount of time spent in the kitchen. You can use just about any apple variety you like but I find the combination of the sweet & tart Pink Lady with the tart Granny Smith apples to be perfect.

Ingredients:
2 Pie Crusts (for the top and bottom)
3 pounds Pink Lady apples
1 pound Granny Smith apples
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
Zest from 1 lemon (about a tablespoon)
Juice from 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg plus 1 tablespoon water (egg wash)
1 tablespoon sugar (for decorating)

Step One: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Prepare the pie crust. Roll out the crust into two circles. Place one in the pie shell.

Step Two: Peel and core the apples. Stand the apple with the core vertical and slice the apple in half through the core. Place each half flat slide down and slice the apple into 1/4 inch slices.

Step Three: Toss the apple slices in a bowl with the flour, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Mix to coat well.

Step Four: Pour the apple mixture into the pie shell. It may look like too many apples, but stack them in! This will be a tall pie.

Step Five: Place the other pie crust circle on top. Crimp the edges. Using a fluted cookie cuter, or knife, cut out a two-inch hole from the top.

Step Six: Brush the egg wash on top of the crust and sprinkle the sugar on top.

Step Seven: Bake in a preheated oven for 1 hour. The crust will be golden and lightly browned.

Step Eight: Allow the pie to cool slightly before devouring.

Enjoy!