A Slice of Fall Comfort

Few desserts capture the spirit of fall quite like a classic apple pie. This tried-and-true recipe blends tart and sweet apples with warm spices and a buttery, flaky crust. Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of caramel for a comforting treat straight from your acreage kitchen.

Ingredients

• 8 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced no thinner than 1/3 inch (about 10 cups; use 4 Granny Smith and 4 Honeycrisp)
• 1/4 cup melted and cooled butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, preferably fresh squeezed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Egg wash (1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon whole milk), for brushing pastry
• Coarse sugar, for sprinkling on crust
• One 9-inch double-crust pie dough, preferably homemade and refrigerated for at least 2 hours
• Optional: Caramel sauce, homemade or store-bought, for drizzling

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (204 degrees Celsius).

2. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.

3. Add the flour and stir to form a paste. Turn off the heat and let the mixture sit for 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. Stir to mix thoroughly.

5. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil. Then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.

6. Pour the warm mixture into a large skillet. Add the apple slices and gently stir to coat evenly. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the apples begin to soften slightly. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

7. Press one layer of pastry dough into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Roll out the second layer of pastry so that it overhangs the dish about 1/2 inch. For a lattice crust, cut the top layer into eight 1-inch strips.

8. Spoon the apple filling into the bottom crust, forming a tall mound.

9. Lay either the full top crust or the lattice strips over the filling.

10. Brush the top pastry with egg wash and generously sprinkle with coarse sugar.

11. Bake the pie for 25 minutes on the middle oven rack. Place a baking sheet on the lower rack to catch any bubbling juices.

12. After 25 minutes, keep the pie in the oven and add a pie crust shield or aluminum foil around the edges to prevent overbrowning.

13. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) and continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. The pie is done when an instant-read thermometer reads 200 degrees Fahrenheit (93 degrees Celsius) in the center.

14. Remove the pie from the oven and transfer it to a cooling rack. Let cool for 3 hours before slicing, or the filling may be too runny.
Serve with ice cream and a drizzle of warm caramel sauce if desired.

About the author:

Roz Corieri Paige is the author of La Bella Vita Cucina, a food and lifestyle blog where she inspires others to live life more deliciously and beautifully, whether in the kitchen or the garden. Find out more about Roz at www.italianbellavita.com.