My Grandmother’s Apple Pie (a family favorite!)

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This recipe has been passed down in my family through the generations and is a staple on our Thanksgiving and Christmas table. I actually think my family would riot if I DIDN'T make this apple pie. I can't remember a holiday that we didn't end with giant slices of this apple pie.  Sometimes it's served warm with vanilla ice cream that melts in the most perfect way, with little rivers that get into all the nooks and crannies of the crust.  Other times it's served plain.  But it's always served on special plates.  The kind of plates we tend to pack away in boxes and store in deep, dark corners of garages and basements.  It's a special pie, so it deserves a special plate.  And I can't think of a better excuse to dig out your best china!

 

Q & A

What are the best apples for apple pie?

Your favorite apples!  That's the easiest answer. I love doing a mix of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith for a nice blend of sweet and tart.  If you love a tart apple, you can stick with Granny Smith.  Envy are also a great option because they are crisp and sweet, and won't turn into mush when you bake them.  

Why do you refrigerate the pie before baking it?

As you roll out the dough and manipulate it, the dough will naturally start warming up.  Your hands are warm (most likely) and will also cause the dough to warm up, which warms up the butter.  By chilling the pie before you bake it, the butter (which is the fat in the dough) has a chance to get cold again, so when you bake it, the butter will slowly and gradually melt into the flour and create a flakey crust.  If you bake the pie when the dough and butter have been warmed up, the butter will melt too quickly and your crust won't be as flakey or as sturdy. 

How long will the pie last?

You can make the pie up to 2 days before serving, and it will last 5 days in your fridge.......although, in my house, it's polished off on day one and has never made it to day 5.  

overhead of apple pie with sun shining on the crust decorated with leaves

My Grandmother's Apple Pie (a family favorite!)

Technically this should be called my "great grandmother's apple pie" because it was the recipe my great grandmother taught my grandmother, who taught it to my mom and, yep, you guessed it, my mom gave me the recipe. There have been little changes here and there as the recipe has been passed down, but what remains is delicious cinnamon spiced apples tucked into a flakey buttery crust. A perfect holiday dessert.....or anytime you want a little holiday spirit!
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Course: Dessert
Keyword: apple pie oatmeal, apple pie recipe, christmas dessert, holiday pie, holiday pies
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6 people

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup  butter, unsalted, cut into cubes After you cube it, place the cubes in the a bowl in your freezer for 10 minutes.
  • 5 tablespoons  granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon  heavy whipping cream
  • 5 Honeycrisp apples, peeled, cored and sliced  (Jonagold and Granny Smith are also delicious apples to use)
  • 2 tablespoons  cinnamon sugar, plus more to sprinkle on top of pie
  • 3-4 tablespoons  sugar  (if your apples are sweet, use less sugar)
  • 3 teaspoons  cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon  freshly ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon  fresh lemon juice

Instructions

  • For the Pie Crust -- In the bowl of a food processor layer 1 cup of flour, all the butter, remaining cup of flour. Add the sugar and pulse until butter resembles small pebbles. With the food processor running, add egg and whipping cream through the tube. Keep the food processor running until the dough comes together into a ball. Remove dough, wrap in plastic wrap, flatten into a disk and refrigerate. I like to refrigerate until I’m done preparing the apples
  • Assemble the Pie -- On a lightly floured board (I sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on the board, too, because…. well, why not?) roll out ½ the dough until it’s slightly larger than your pie dish. You want there to be enough dough to hang over the sides. With your rolling pin, roll the top of the dough over the pin slightly, gently lift and place in your pie dish. Trim the overhang slightly.
  • Pour the apples over the bottom crust, making sure they cover the crust evenly. Sprinkle the apples with the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice. Gently shake the sides of the pie dish to distribute the spices and lemon juice among the apples. You can also add the sliced apples to a large bowl, add the spices and lemon juice, then spoon them into the crust.
  • Sprinkle additional flour and cinnamon sugar on your board, and roll out the top crust. Lay the top crust over the apples, making sure the crust hangs over the side by about ½”. Crimp the top crust over the bottom crust to seal the pie together. With a fork, poke some holes on the top crust, and sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar.
  • Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes, until the crust begins to turn golden brown. When the crust begins to brown, cover pie loosely with foil (so the crust doesn’t burn), and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.
  • Cool on a rack. Serve warm or room temperature with vanilla ice cream, whipping cream….or both!
Have you made this recipe?I'd love to know! Leave a comment or recipe rating and tag me @amenuforyou on social media!

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