Original Recipe: http://www.joyofbaking.com/ApplePie.html
Pie Crust:
2 1/2 cups (350 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon (30 grams) granulated white sugar
1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, chilled, and cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup (60 - 120 ml) ice water
2 1/2 pounds (1.1 kg) apples(about 6 large), peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick (about 8 cups (2 L))
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar
1/4 cup (55 grams) light brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons (15 grams) cornstarch(corn flour)
Garnish:
Softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream
Pie Crust:
=> In a food processor, place the flour, salt, and sugar and process until combined. Add the chilled butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal (about 15 seconds).
OR
=> If you are like me, and don't have a food processor you can simply use your hands. Gently go around the bowl with your hand, mixing together the flour, salt and sugar until combined. Then add in the butter chunks, spreading it evenly over the top of the dried ingredients. Using your entire hand to squeeze the chunks of butter together with the flour to help them blend as you mix them up. Then whilst doing so, use your fingers to pinch them into smaller pieces. The idea is to make the mixture into a course meal-like texture (small and flakey, but not fine - you want the butter to stay kind of cool and not melted with all the heat from your hands, so be careful.)
=> Prepare 1/4 cup of chilled water (60 ml) and add in about two tablespoons first, briefly processing and stopping to check. Essentially you want to add water, process and then repeat by adding one tablespoon at a time just until the dough starts to clump together when pinched (it should not be a solid ball of dough). If you are processing, do not process for more than 30 seconds. If you are working with your hands, then just simply mix by running your hands through the dough and mashing the mixture with the water together to your palm.
=> Once the dough has started to clump together when pinched, turn the dough onto your work surface and gather into a ball. Divide the dough in half, flattening each half into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about one hour before using. This will chill the butter and relax the gluten in the flour.
Make the Apple Filling:
=> Wash the apples and dry them with a paper towel to prevent slipping.
=> Half the apple then taking each half and cutting off the two sides close to the core as close as possible.
=> Flip the remaining piece with the apple core onto its side, and cut off the last piece as close to the core as possible. You will be left with a rectangular apple core piece, and 3 pieces of sliced apple from each half.
=> Now take a pairing knife and remove the skin of the 1/4 pieces of the apple. OR you can use a peeler or just roughly cut the skin off with any knife but be careful not to cut your hands.
=> Cut them into 1/4 inch pieces, roughly 3 slices from each 1/4 piece of an apple.
=> In a large bowl combine the sliced apples with the sugars, lemon juice, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to three hours. The lemon juice prevents the apples from browning as it makes contact with oxygen. This procedure of letting the juices seep out first, will prevent the apples from doing so during baking process and forming a large empty dome at the top of the pie crust between the crust and the apple fillings as the juices evaporate.
=> Then, place the apples and their juices in a strainer that is placed over a large bowl (to capture the juices). Let the apples drain for about 15-30 minutes or until you have about 1/2 cup (120 ml) of juice.
=> Spray a 4 cup (960 ml) heatproof measuring cup with a nonstick vegetable spray, and then pour in the collected juices and the 2 tablespoons (28 grams) of unsalted butter. Place in the microwave and boil the liquid, on high, about 5 to 7 minutes or until the liquid has reduced to about 1/3 cup (80 ml) and is syrupy and lightly caramelized.
OR
=> Alternatively, you could place the juices and butter in a small saucepan and boil over medium high heat on the stove.
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