Homemade Apple Pie

Classic homemade apple pie. Serve it with ginger ice cream for a little zing.

INGREDIENTS

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• ½ cup ice water
• 2 kilos Fuji apples (or apples that are in season), peeled, cored and quartered
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 egg yolk, beaten

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine flour, salt and sugar in a food processor using the pulse setting. Add the cold butter and pulse about 8 times, until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
2. Sprinkle the mixture with half the ice water and pulse until dough is crumbly and moist. If the dough is dry, continue adding ice water by the teaspoon until it is moist enough (but still crumbly) to form a ball. Do not over process.
3. Divide the dough into two pieces. Form both pieces into a 1½ cm thick flat disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (and up to 2 days).
4. When ready to bake the pie, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.
5. Lightly flour a rolling surface. Place one disk of dough in the middle and roll the dough from the centre outward into a 30 cm round, about ⅓ cm thick. Transfer to a baking sheet, cover and refrigerate. Repeat with the second disk of dough.
6. Set oven rack to lowest position and preheat oven to 450°F.
7. Butter a 22 cm pie dish.
8. Place apples into a large bowl and add lemon juice. Add sugar and cinnamon. Toss to combine.
9. Remove dough rounds from refrigerator. Place one round into the buttered pie dish and pat down bottom and sides. Using a pastry cutter cut the remaining dough round into 1¼ cm wide strips. The dough round should yield 15-16 strips.
10. Spoon the apple mixture into the dough-lined pie plate.
11. Lightly brush the rim of the pie shell with water. Place 8 strips across the pie. Fold back every other strip and place a strip horizontally across the centre of the pie. Repeat this to achieve a weaving pattern until all the strips are used. Press the dough edges to seal.
12. Brush the dough strip with egg yolk.
13. Bake for 20 minutes then reduce heat to 375°F. Continue to bake for 55-60 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the apples begin bubbling.
14. Let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SERVES: 8
PREP TIME: 45 minutes (excluding dough refrigeration)
COOKING TIME: 1 hour 20 minutes

*For best results, freeze butter cubes at least one hour before using.