Makes 6 to 8 serving.
APPLE PIE CRUST
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 tsp. Granulated Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1 Cup of Unsalted Butter, (cut into small cubes, 2 sticks of butter make 1 cup or 225g)
1/2 Cup Sour Cream, (115ml) full fat, not light sour cream
FOR THE EGG WASH
1 Egg
4 tbsp. Liquid Milk
MAKING THE PIE CRUST
Cut butter into cubes and let sit for a couple of minutes out of the fridge to take the chill off, no need to soften the butter.
In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar.
Add the cubed butter into the flour using a pastry cutter, until the mixture forms large coarse crumbs.
Gradually add the sour cream into the dry ingredients, until the dough is evenly moist. Use your hands to bring the ingredients together to the bottom of the bowl. The dough should not be very sticky. If the dough seems very dry, you can always add little more sour cream to have a good consistency of a dough.
Divide dough in half, form each half into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 ball of dough and ease the pastry into a 9-inch pie pan. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork to prevent the puffiness of the dough while baking.
Bake in a preheated oven (180 degrees C), for 15 minutes without the filling.
Roll out the second half of the dough into a 9-inch circle and cut to 12 equal strips using a pizza cutter. Cheque the picture of how to assemble the strips.
APPLE PIE FILLING
INGREDIENTS
8 – 9 Large Apples
2 tbsp. Butter
1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1 1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon, plus more if desired
1/2 tsp. Ground nutmeg, plus more if desired
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 Squeezed Fresh Lemon Juice
Zest of 1 Lemon
2 tbsp. Cornstarch
MAKING THE APPLE PIE FILLING
In a large cooking pot, slice the apples the same size for even cooking. Then combine the sliced apples with the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, lemon juice, lemon zest, cornstarch. Toss to coat evenly, and cook on low heat.
Taste and adjust the sweetness.
Let it cool to room temperature.
Precooking the filling will get rid of extra moisture and ensure that the filling is perfectly thickened before going to the oven.
Spoon the filling over the bottom of the pre-cooked pie crust. Fill the pie until apples are mounded at the same height as the edge of the pie crust.
Place the 2nd pie dough strips at the top, assemble as in the picture.
Whisk the egg and milk, then use it as an egg wash by lightly brushing the top of the crust strips.
Place the prepared pie in the preheated oven and bake at (180 degrees C), for 10 to 15 minutes until the top of the pie become a golden color.
Be sure to cool the pie, without slicing into it for at least 1-hour, longer is also better.
