Golden Delicious Apple Pie
It’s hard to beat a great slice of pie–especially if it’s apple pie–and this time of year, there is no shortage of apples in Washington State. So many delicious varieties are available now and with a husband in the biz, I get to try varieties both unique and still under development. Even now, I’ve got a bag of Pink Pearls tucked away and I find myself with a severe case of decision paralysis when it comes to what to do with them. A pie? A tart? Chutney? But I digress. This recipe is all about the ubiquitous Golden Delicious. While many bakers immediately reach for a tart apple when baking a pie, my husband surprised me when he came home with some of the most mammoth Goldens I had ever seen and, with a smile, requested pie. Come to find out, Golden Delicious apple pie is actually a favorite around the office and he was eager to give it a whirl.
Though unconventional, these local golden delicious apples were just fabulous in pie. I honestly expected them to wind up mushy and bland, so was totally delighted when this pie delivered everything I could want in a slice of apple pie. The crust was tender and flakey, the apples were fragrant and had perfect texture with big apple flavor, and the juices were perfectly thickened. I think the lemon is really key to both bringing out the flavor of the apples as well as allowing them to release their juices. A hint of spice enhanced the Goldens even further, creating a really great slice of pie. The husband’s a happy camper.
This recipe is an adaptation of Classic Apple Pie from Cook’s Illustrated’s Best Recipe. Enjoy!
Golden Delicious Apple Pie
Serves 10
Ingredients
1 recipe basic pie dough
6-8 large golden delicious apples, peeled, cored, and sliced to ¼ inch
juice of 1 lemon
zest of ½ lemon
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ cup flour
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
1 egg white
Begin by dividing your pie dough into two pieces. Shape these into rounds and then roll out between two sheets of floured parchment paper into 12 inch circles. Take one of these and, with the help of your rolling pin, carefully transfer the round to a 9″ pie plate. Gently press the dough into the pie plate, letting the excess hang over the edge. Cover this and your remaining round with plastic wrap and pop in the fridge while you get on with the filling.
At this point, your apples should already be peeled, cored, and sliced into 1/4 inch slices. (If not, no time like the present!) Place them all in a large bowl and drizzle with your lemon juice. Toss well to combine. Next, whisk together the lemon zest, 3/4 cup of the granulated sugar, the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt in a small bowl. Add to the apples and toss well to coat the apples.
Preheat your oven to 500 degrees.
Grab your patiently waiting pie shell from the fridge and dump in those gorgeous apples. They should be mounded up, nice and high. If your apples are just barely reaching the rim, consider slicing another apple or two to add. Once you’ve got your mountain of apples, dot them with the tablespoon of butter. Drape with the remaining round of pie dough and get to crimping the edge. What I typically do is tuck the edge of the top round under the edge of the pie shell. I then use my fingers to pinch a crimp pattern all the way around. If I have some excess scraps, I also like to cut a cute shape to put on top. An apple or leaves are both cute. Once you’ve got it how you like it, brush the top with the egg white and sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Cut 4 vents with a sharp knife to allow steam to escape and now you’re ready to bake!
Pop your pie in the oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 425 degrees. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the crust is a light golden color. Rotate the pie 180 degrees and check your crust. If the edge is browning too quickly, wrap a length of aluminum foil around that edge to keep it from burning. Now reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees and, if you’re nervous about juices bubbling over and making a mess in your oven, slide a baking sheet on the rack beneath the pie. Bake for another 30 or so minutes, until the crust is perfectly browned and the apples are bubbling away. Cool to room temperature (if you can wait that long), slice and enjoy!
Nutrition information per serving (1/10 slice of pie): 497 calories, 25 g total fat, 12 g saturated fat, 65 g total carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 4 g protein
Maureen Fraîche 