Normally on Thanksgiving I bake the pumpkin pie (I use Libby's Famous Pie recipe) and my mom bakes the apple pie, but this year I got to do both. I've only baked apple pie one other time but it turned out great overall. Personally, I've never cared for Granny Smith apples; they're so sour and need tons of sugar (I know diets are forgotten on Thanksgiving, but still). I used gala apples which are naturally sweeter and hold their shape well when baked. The pie crust is the same one I used in Gram's rhubarb pie recipe.
Pie Crust Ingredients (Makes 2 crusts):
3 cups flour
1 T sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup cold butter cut into small cubes
1 egg in measuring cup, add milk or cold water until it reaches 1/2 cup (Everything must be cold or the crust won't be nice and flaky!)
Instructions for Pie Crust:
1) Mix dry ingredients + cold butter by hand or in a food processor until the butter pieces are pea-sized
2) Mix in egg/water mixture until a dough forms. Don't handle the dough too much with your hands or the butter will melt.
3) Divide into 2 equal balls of dough, wrap in saran wrap and chill at least 30 minutes before rolling
4) Once chilled, roll out dough into a 9" pie pan. I saved the second ball in the fridge until the filling was in. If making in advance: I roll out the dough, place in a pie pan and place the whole thing in a freezer bag to last several months. It can last several days this way in the fridge as well.
Ingredients (Pie Filling):
6-7 gala apples, peeled, cored, sliced into 1/2" slices
2 T lemon juice
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 T flour
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Instructions (Pie Filling + Baking):
1) Preheat oven to 400 F. Placed your sliced apples in a large bowl, add the lemon juice to keep from browning and stir
2) Separately mix the sugar, spices, and flour then add to the apples, stir to combine
3) Pour apples into pie pan with pie crust, try to keep excess liquid from going into the pan to prevent a soggy pie. Spread the filling evenly.
4) Roll out the second pie crust so it covers the top completely. Place over the top, tucking the edge of the top crust under the edge of the bottom crust to keep them from separating. Brush the top with egg wash and cut slits on the top to allow steam to escape
5) Bake 400 F for 25 minutes, use foil to protect the pie edges from getting too brown. After 25 minutes, reduce heat to 375 F and bake for 35-40 minutes or until pie crust is golden brown and apples are soft.
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