Apple Pie

Apple pie, and really the best crust. I found pictures of my previous baking endeavors and decided to post them in my attempt to actually have a blog

Adapted from the Food Network Kitchens

Dough:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon fine salt

3/4 cup cold unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), diced

1 large egg

3 to 4 tablespoons very cold water 

Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together
Cut butter into chucks and rub into the dry ingredients with your fingers until completely absorbed, resembling pea-sized balls

Beat the egg with 3 tablespoons of the water and pour over the dough mix
Mix dough together, if the dough is really dry, sprinkle it with the final tablespoon of water


Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap and shape into disks.
Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. (The dough can be frozen for 2 months. Defrost dough in the fridge overnight.)

Filling:

1/2 lemon

About 4/5 pounds baking apples, such as Golden Delicious.

2/3 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling on the pie

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 stick butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg, beaten

Grate lemon zest and set aside.
Peel, core, and slice apples into slices.
Squeeze the lemon juice over apples
Toss apples with the sugar, salt, and spices

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the apples and cook, stirring until the sugar dissolves and juices simmer Reduce heat to medium, and cook, uncovered, until the apples softens and the juices evaporate some, about 10 minutes.
Evenly mix the flour into the apples; then cook about a minute more to thicken the juices slightly.
Stir in the vanilla and lemon zest; and remove from the heat.
Cool completely.

Form the pie:

Dust the work surface with flour. Roll a disk of dough into an 11 to 12-inch circle. Transfer the dough to 9-inch pie pan, trimming so it hangs about 1/2-inch over the edge of the pan. 

Fill the crust with the prepared fruit so it mounds slightly in the center. Roll the remaining dough into a 12-inch circle. Brush the rim of the crust with some of the egg.

Roll the dough onto the rolling pie and unroll it over the filling so it hangs over the edge of the pie pan by about 1/2-inch. 

Trim crust if needed

Fold the top crust edge under the bottom one, then press the edges together to seal. 

Flute the crust by pressing a finger into the crust against the other hand's index finger and thumb to make an even ruffled edge. 

Refrigerate the pie for at least 20 minutes.

Bake:

Heat to 425 degrees F.

Brush pie with egg and sprinkle with sugar. 

Cut 6 to 8 small steam vents into the top of the dough. 

Place pie on a baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F. 

Bake until the crust (both top and bottom) is golden brown, about 50 minutes more. 

If the edges begin to brown too quickly, cut a pie shield out of a piece of aluminum foil and cover the edges. 

Cool pie