Calling out to all my US CakeCentral Friends....I am in need of a Fantastic Homemade Apple pie recipe...I want to make pie for Christmas for my family...a few questions....What is the secret to flaky pie crust..recipe anyone? Should I partially cook the apples first on the stove..(I hate crispy uncooked apples in my pie) any special syrups,liquers etc...
Thanks a bunch!!!
Oh Yeah...Happy Thanksgiving to you all!!
Here is an apple pie recipe I make for Thanksgiving and it is very good.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Apple-Pie-by-Grandma-Ople/Detail.aspx
I did made a few changes to it:
1. add 1t vanilla and a little more sugar
2. use 3 different types of apples
2. cover cut apples with 2T flour, 1t cinnamon, and a pinch of nutmeg
3. added the apples to the melted mixture in the pan and cook the apples just a bit....if I don't then the apples can be a little on the crisp side
I have to say that pie crust has always been my nemesis! I could never get it to turn out right. 
But recently I found a recipe by America's Test Kitchen that have turn my pie crust experiences around. It turns out great! 
Very light and flaky....
Pie Dough
(for one 9" double crust)
1 1/4C all purpose flour
1 1/4C cake flour
1t salt
2T sugar
8T shortening
12 T butter-chilled and cut into 1/4" pieces.
6-8T ice water
(I put everything in the refrigerator or freezer and make sure it's very cold---including dry ingredients, bowl, fat, utensils, etc.)
Wisk dry ingredients until combined. Cut in shortening until it resembles coarse sand. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture and cut in until the pieces are about the size of small peas. Sprinkle 6T ice water over mixture. Use a rubber spatula and use folding motion to mix. Press down on dough with broad side of spatula until dough sticks together. Add 2T more water if necessary if it won't come together. Divide dough into 2 balls and flatten each into a 4" wide disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour before rolling.
After I get the crust and in the pan and fluted, I put it in the freezer for about 15 minutes to make sure it's very cold before adding filling and baking.
I also have a great pie crust recipe for a pre-baked pie shell that is a little different but works like a charm if you're interested!
HTH
Oh yeah...I forgot to mention that the original pie crust recipe says to use only all purpose flour. But I found that if I use 1/2 all purpose and 1/2 cake flour it turns out even flakier.
This is the pie crust my Grandmother taught me to bake many, many years ago. It never fails...and is ever so flaky.
Never Fail Pie Crust
3 cups flour
1 1/4 cup lard
1 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
5 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon vinegar (I use cider)
Cut lard into flour and salt with pastry blender. Combine egg, vinegar and water. Pour liquid into flour mixture, all at once. Blend with a spoon just until all the flour is moistened.
This is an easy crust to handle and can be re-rolled. Yield: 5 crusts
I make this and save any extra in a ziplock in the frig. I have kept it for a month with no problems.
I know...the "lard" is not politically correct in the cholesterol world...but...it makes a dang good flaky crust.
I have always used this recipe and I always get great compliments about it. I personally DO NOT like apple pie so I could not even tell you if it is good haha. People have always said it is the best they have had and I have specifically asked and they say that the apples are not crunchy. Just make sure to slice the apples thin. Sorry about the lack of pie crust recipe, that is one thing that I have not had much luck with.
APPLE PIE
5-6 apples gayla, fuji, anything that is red and orange is good and 1 green apple (helps with the sweet)
¼ cup flour
¾ cup sugar
pinch of salt
2 tsp cinnamon (I use just a little bit more, maybe another tsp)
few pats of butter (approx. 5)
9 deep dish pie shell
pie dough for top crust
Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 375°
Peel and slice apples into thin slices
In a large bowl combine your sugar, salt, cinnamon and small amount of your flour
Pour your apples slices into bowl with sugar mixture
Cover the bowl with saran wrap and shake around coating all the apple slices
Sprinkle some of your flour into the bottom of your pie shell (not real heavy, just coat)
Pour in your apple slices and spread around evenly
Sprinkle some more of your flour over top of the apple slices (again lightly)
Put your pats of butter around the top of your apple slices (I usually use about 5 thin slices)
Lay your top crust over apples and pinch edges together to seal to the bottom crust
With a pearing knife make some slits into top of the crust to allow steam to escape
Spritz the top with some water (or brush it on) and lightly sprinkle some granulated sugar (sometimes I use a cin/sugar combination) over the top this helps to get a crunchy shell
Place in oven for approx. 40-50 minutes or until top crust is browned
My pie crust uses the same ingredients as "getus" posted. The only difference is that my measurements are a little different and I also add white sugar to my flour when I sift it. This recipe is very forgiving and can be rerolled. I have been making pies for more years than I care to mention and this has got to be the best pie crust....sooo flaky and everyone loves it. Yeah I know....lard!!!! But hey...if it wasn't so bad it wouldn't be so good. One more thing too...the water HAS to be ice cold. Any questions, just pm me. Good luck!!!
this has been something that I have been wondering about myself. My husband always says "of all the women that I could have married I married one that makes CAKES" he LOVES his pies, hot or cold. I am not such a great pie maker. But I told him that I would try to learn. I did watch a Bobby Flay throw down yesterday that was for apple pies! The people that he was challenging bake their pies in a paper bag. I have seen this before but have never tried it. They said the bottom crust is like a regular pie crust but the top was more like a type of sugar cookie and they pieced it together. Looked VERY good. I will try and find a link to if.
Here is the link. It doesn't like the other recipe, just Bobby's :
http://www.foodnetwork.com/throwdown-with-bobby-flay/brown-bag-apple-pie2/index.html
I love lard in a pie crust.. I don't always have lard on hand though.
This is what I do for one pie crust (you'd need 2 to make a double crusted pie):
3/4 c cake flour
1/2 cup AP flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBSP sugar
1 stick unsalted butter cut into 1/2 cubes and frozen
1/8c ice water (plus a TBSP if needed)
In your food processor place the flours, salt, sugar, and frozen butter and run until blended and there are no big chunks of butter left. Add the water in a slow stream until you can pinch the dough together but it will still crumble apart. (this takes some practice.. too dry and it will be a bitch to roll.. too wet it will not be as flaky and the amout of water all depends on the batch). Place the mixture on a piece of plastic wrap and form into a disc, wrap up tight and place in the fridge for at LEAST one hour.. more if you can. Take out of the fridge and let sit for a few minutes and roll out.
You can sub lard for all or some of the butter if you have it too.. but it's really good either way. The most important thing is to have REALLY cold ingredients and not to process it for too long. Also.. this crust is great for savory applications like pot pies.. just omit the sugar.
For the apple part I like to use granny smiths and only granny smiths.. I don't like apples that fall apart on you and I really love the tart taste. Sugar.. a bunch of cinnamon.. a teeny teeny pinch of nutmeg.. some corn starch.. yum.
Kivia,
There are several different combinations of apples you can use. Here are some that will work well. These apples will keep their flavor well when baked without getting mushy:
Cortland, Empire, Granny Smith, Jonagold, Macoun, and Golden Delicious
(I've also thrown in a couple Gala apples from time to time because I had them on hand.)
I forgot to mention that if you paint the top crust of your pie with a little milk then sprinkle granulated sugar on top....it makes a very pretty presentation!
Also if you have a problem getting a pretty fluted edge on your crust.... just take a small leaf shaped cutter and cut out enough leaves to go around the edge of your pie crust. Finishing the edge like this makes it look like it took forever to do and they'll think you're an expert. When in reality it's very simple and easy to do.
HTH
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