10.27.2006

As Normal As Apple Pie




My friend asked me to bake her a classic American style apple pie for her 25th birthday, something I'd never made before. Seeing as she'd taken care of my bully in the 7th grade (in a most regal way I might add) I was in no position to persuade her into chocolate cake. And so I hit the bookstore and scribbled down A to Zs recipes. The one I leave you with is a conflated number I threw together from the 20 some recipes I consulted. I learned that the success of the apple pie is in the dough and that if you poke it, brush it with egg and freeze it for atleast 15 minutes before baking you should achieve outstanding results.

I got to use my friend's old fashioned oven, too. It was like I'd just been handed the keys to a white, Citroën Traction and when I opened the door...Charles Trenet was playing.




The Dough (it's almost shortbread-like):

2 1/2 c. flour
1 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. milk
1 tsp. salt
dash of cinnamon
splash of vanilla extract
lemon zest

***Knead all of these ingredients together. If the dough is crumbly and dry, keep adding milk or cold water. Then roll out your dough (on a floured surface, using a floured rolling pin, or if you're like me and don't have one, use a wine bottle) until it's about a 1/4 inch thick. Butter your 9-inch pie dish. Place dough in dish so that the surfaces are well covered and poke with fork. Then, take an egg, beat its white and brush it onto the dough (you will use the yolk to glaze the top part of the pie's dough before placing it in the oven). The egg white acts as a kind of barrier between the cooked apples and the crust, so that the latter doesn't become soggy during the baking process. The place the pie dish in the feezer. Leave it in for a minimum of 15 minutes. Now your dough will not shift size during baking. Keep the remaining dough. You will only have to roll this dough out, place it on top of the pie and brush with egg. You can make petal-like incisions into the top layer of dough and create a flower pattern or make any designs you like.

The Pie-Filling:

6 granny smith apples, cored, peeled and chopped
1 lemon, its juice (lemon zest, optional)
1 tbsp. butter
1/4 c. brown or white-granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4. tsp. clove
1/4 tsp. allspice

Set oven to 400F. Combine all of these ingredients in a bowl. Pour into frozen pie shell. Cover with remaining dough. Cut out your pattern of choice. Brush with egg yolk and place into oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool for 15 minutes and serve with vanilla ice cream.