old fashioned apple pie for pi day 3.14.15
Celebrate the most epic Pi Day you will experience for the next 100 years. March 14th aligned with 2015 to bring you 3.14.15 and at 9:26:53 the universe will scream for you to enjoy a slice of this Old Fashioned Apple Pie.
Fact: I make ugly pies. They’re rustic and they’re homely, but they’re oh so delicious. At the end of the day, taste is all that matters. This Old Fashioned Apple Pie was delicious. It was tart, spicy, and packed with crispy, buttery crust chunks.
The secret to an amazing pie? Don’t be afraid of your crust getting color. Nobody ever said that pale crust was the best crust they’ve ever had. Slather it with egg wash, coat it in cinnamon sugar, and let that baby brown away. The sugar and pastry will caramelize in the oven for the most delightful crunch of crust with every bite. All credit goes to Paula Deen. That woman knows how to handle a stick of butter. Or two.
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, cold and cubed, plus 2 tablespoons cold and sliced
- 2½ cups flour, plus 3 tablespoons
- 1¼ cups sugar, plus 1 teaspoon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ to ½ cup ice water
- 8 granny smith apples, peeled & sliced
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 egg, lightly beaten, for egg wash
- cinnamon sugar, for dusting
- Pulse 2½ cups flour, salt, and 1 teaspoon sugar in food processor. Add 2 sticks cubed, cold butter and gradually add the ice water pulsing between additions. Pulse until dough just comes together.
- Divide dough in 2 rounds, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Combine cinnamon, nutmeg, 1¼ cups sugar and 2 tablespoons flour, in a small mixing bowl and set aside. Toss apple slices with sugar mixture in a large mixing bowl, evenly coating all slices.
- Roll chilled discs on lightly floured surface to yield two circles large enough to cover your pie dish. Press one round into bottom of pie dish and cut off excess around the edges.
- Pour apple mixture into pie pan and scatter your 2 tablespoons sliced butter on top. Cover apples with second round of dough, trim excess and crimp edges to seal. Cut slits in top crust to allow venting while baking. Lightly brush egg wash onto top of dough. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place pie onto a baking tray into preheated oven for approximately 50 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving. Refrigerate leftovers.
