Apple Pie, Oh My My!

I will be the first to admit that I’m not a pie person. I don’t really get excited around Thanksgiving when all the pies are presented in some orderly fashion, and I really could go all year without having a slice. Sure, I like the crust and I think they look pretty, but they’re really low on my list of desserts. Eating pies can be boring. I know what an pecan pie will taste like, no matter where I go. It’s some conventionalism that you either love or hate. I hate to eat pie.

However, I love to bake pies! Pies are so easy to make. Whether you’re using store bought dough, or making your Grandma’s classic cold-butter dough, it’s really kind of simple. You roll out your dough, fill it, bake it, and eat it. Yes, the rolling can be a pain, and sometimes the crust may burn around the edges, but the trick to mastering a good pie is just to bake a lot of them.

For the most part, I would say I bake a lot of apple pies. I’m not counting the chocolate-mousse pies or anything like that. To me, a “traditional” pie involves some buttery crust and a fruit or nut filling. Apple pies can differentiate in taste depending on the filling you use. Whether it’s a mix of Granny Smith and Pink Lady apples, or lime instead of a lemon juice, apple pies are often distinguished by who bakes them.

A few weeks ago, I posted “Apple Pie with Bacon-Cheddar Crust” from Joy The Baker's "Homemade Decadence", which I have described as my new “go-to” baking book. Instantly, people messaged me for the recipe of the pie. It definitely is exotic in terms of pie standards. I baked the pie for my friend Nic, also known as the Gilly’s logo designer. After this pie was posted, another customer ordered it. Simply it’s becoming quite the hit.

The pie is out of this world good. As I am writing this post, I have a mini-pie warming up in the oven…this is coming from the girl who hates pies! Its taste is the perfect mixture between sweet and savory. The crust is divine and I think I could just eat that alone. The apples are soft and tender with hints of cinnamon. This pie is comforting.

I made this pie in 4 mini forms. I chopped the apples to be smaller and reduced the recipe to about 1 pound baking apples. The baking time was 20 minutes. If you’re baking this pie smaller than 9-inches and need assistance just ask!

One suggestion I will make is that this pie takes time. I made the crust a few nights ahead and then thawed it while I was making the filling. But be wary, it will take a little time.

Apple Pie with Cheddar-Bacon Crust

Recipe from Joy the Baker, “Homemade Decadence” (p. 135-136)

For the Crust:

• 6 slices of bacon
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup, cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
• ½ plus 1 tablespoon

1. To begin the crust, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place 6 slices of bacon on a foil lined baking sheet, and bake until crisp, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a paper towel to drain and let cool. Finely chop the bacon and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cold butter cubes and using your fingers or pastry cutter; work the butter into the flour mixture. Quickly break down the butter until some of the pieces are the size of oat flakes and some the size of peas. Add the cheese and chopped bacon and toss well. Make a well in the middle of the mixture and pour the buttermilk. Using a fork, stir the buttermilk into the flour mixture until a dough forms.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter or pastry board. The dough will be moist and shaggy. Divide the dough in 2 and gently knead each into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

*if freezing dough, place wrapped dough in another layer of plastic wrap and freeze. Once ready to use, thaw for 24 hours in the refrigerator. You can also thaw on counter surface… timing varies. 

For the Filling:

• 2 ½ pounds baking apples; peeled, cored and sliced ¼ inch thick (I used about 7; 4 Granny Smith, 3 Pink Lady)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
• ½ to 1 ½ teaspoons of ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
• ¼ tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 large egg, beaten

1. In a large bowl, combine apples, lemon juice, brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Cover and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
2. After 30 minutes, transfer the apple and their juices to a colander set over a bowl. Let the apples drain until you have at least ½ cup of liquid. This may take some time. Transfer the liquid to a small saucepan, set over medium high heat. Add the butter and cook until syrupy, about 5 minutes. Swirl the liquid. It will reduce in size to about 1/3 cup.
3. Transfer the apples to a bowl and toss with cornstarch. Pour the syrup over the apples and toss gently. It may harden, which is normal.
4. Roll out the bottom pie crust on a well-floured surface until it’s 1/8-inch thick or less and 12-inches in diameter. Move the crust around so that it doesn’t stick to the counter. Once rolled, transfer to the pie dish. Trim edges to be even with the pie dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Roll out the top crust large enough to cut a 12-inch circle.
5. Once chilled, transfer the apple mixture to a pie shell. Lightly brush the border of the bottom crust with water and adhere the top crust over the fruit. Trim the overhang so that the top crust only overhangs by ½ inch. Tuck the overhang under the bottom crust and press to seal. Crimp the edges using a fork or fingers. On the top, cut 5 evenly spaced 2-inch vents. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour before baking.
6. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put a foil lined baking sheet in the center of the oven.
7. Brush the top of the pie shell with the egg and sprinkle generously with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Put the pie on the foil-lined sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven to 350 degrees and bake until the juice bubble and apples feel tender, but not mushy, about 35-40 minutes. If the pie browning too quickly, make a loose foil tent to put over the pie while it bakes.
8. Transfer the pie to a rack and cool for at least 4 hours before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream.