Easy Apple Pie Recipe

Everyone loves apple pie! It's tender and crunchy at the same time, amazingly delicious! It might seem very complicated but it's so easy to make. It's a little bit embarrassing to say but this is my first time ever baking and eating apple pie in the U.S. This is also my first attempt trying to bake it but I must say, it's not as complicated as it seems. In fact, it's extremely easy that everyone can make it. So let's give it a try! 

Ingredients:

1. Pastry for 2 crust pie (2 frozen pie crusts) - I'm using frozen pie crusts for this recipe because I didn't have time to make my own pastry, but if you really want to make your own pastry, check out this pastry recipe. 
2. 6 Granny Smith (green) apples (or any other apples, I'm using Granny Smith apples because I don't like my pie to be too sweet)
3. 1/2 Cup brown sugar
4. 1/2 Cup white granulated sugar
5. 2 tsp. unsalted butter
6. 2 tsp. all-purpose flour or corn starch
7. 1 tsp. lemon juice 
8. 1/4 tsp. salt

Recipe:

Here are 6 fresh Granny Smith apples that I got from WholeFood!

1/ Peel and cut each apple into quarters.

Then slice each quarter into thin slices 

Put all the peeled and sliced apples into a big bowl

2/ Add 1/2 Cup of white granulated sugar and 1/2 Cup of brown sugar to the apples 

3/ Add 1/4 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. lemon juice and mix everything up well 

4/ Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to a few hours 

5/ Place the apples and their juices in a strainers that is placed over a large bowl for another 15-30 minutes. This will help to capture all the juices from the apples. If you bake apple pie right after without capturing the juice, it would be very watery; the fillings and the crust won't be combined.  

6/ Take the juice collected from the apples and boil over medium-high heat along with 2 tsp. of unsalted butter until the liquid is reduced to about 1/3 Cup and is lightly caramelized (syrup-alike texture)

(Alternatively, You can also put the juice in the microwave for about 5-7 minutes)

Frozen Pie Crust

Chilled pie crust 

7/ Meanwhile, take out the frozen crust and let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes to soften

8/ Mix the drained apples slices with the cornstarch (or all-purpose flour) then pour the reduced syrup over the apples and toss well. 

9/ Pour the apples and the syrup into the chilled pie crust. 

10/ Place the top crust over the apples. Tuck any excess pastry under the bottom crust and them crimp the edges using a fork. 

11/ Using a sharp knife to make 5-6 slits (1.5 - 2 inches) from the center of the pie out towards the edge to allow the steam to escape.  After that, cover the pie with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill the pastry

12/ Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (225 degrees C) 

*Remember to place a pan or a piece of aluminum foil to capture the juices from the pie* 

13/ Bake for about 35-50 minutes or until the juices start to bubble through the slits. The apples should feel tender when a fork/knife is inserted to test through one of the silts. 

Optional: To make the pie achieves a beautiful golden brown color, lightly beat an egg to make a wash and brush onto the crust. 

Remove the pie from the oven and place on a write rack to cool about 3-4 hours before cutting 

The pie should have a beautiful golden brown color like this! :) 

Close-up on the center slits 

You can serve warm at room temperature with vanilla ice cream 

The fillings is very tender, not to sweet and buttery. The crust is crunchy and flaky. This apple pie is just perfectly delicious. Everyone can make this easy and yummy dish, give it a try! 

Cheers!

Happy cooking

Cher

August 12, 2013