Apple pie. The very words conjure images of cozy kitchens, the scent of cinnamon, and the comforting sweetness of warm fruit nestled in a flaky crust. It’s an American classic, a dessert seemingly simple yet notoriously challenging to master. Like many home bakers, my journey to apple pie perfection was paved with a few comical disasters, including a memorable encounter with the Pioneer Woman Caramel Apple Pie recipe.
Geometric bliss. It
The allure of caramel apple pie, especially one championed by the Pioneer Woman, was irresistible. I envisioned a luscious, gooey filling, tender apples, and a buttery crust – a true gustatorial heaven. However, my first attempt using her recipe was less heavenly bliss and more geometric frustration, devoid of the promised sweetness. It turns out, achieving apple pie nirvana is a delicate balance, and as I soon discovered, even seemingly foolproof recipes can lead to crunchy apples, a soggy bottom crust, and a filling that runs for the hills the moment you dare to slice it. Store-bought pies, while convenient, often fare no better, failing to deliver on the trifecta of tender apples, flaky crust, and a satisfyingly thick filling.
Driven by a mix of ambition and perhaps a touch of baking hubris, I embarked on my apple pie adventure. Ignoring the cautionary tales of countless bakers who had battled the crunchy-runny pie conundrum, I dove headfirst into the Pioneer Woman’s Caramel Apple Pie recipe. Young, enamored with the Food Network star, and naively optimistic, I believed success was a foregone conclusion. The recipe called for tossing raw Granny Smith apples with lemon juice, flour, sugar, and salt – a seemingly straightforward approach for the filling. This raw apple mixture was then crowned with a crumb topping of flour, butter, brown sugar, and quick-cooking oats. The inclusion of raw oats in the topping remains a culinary mystery to this day. And the pièce de résistance? A generous dousing of up to two cups of caramel sauce poured over the baked pie. Determined to do it right, I even made homemade caramel sauce.
It’s perfectly acceptable to chuckle at this point. In retrospect, the red flags were waving furiously, but youthful baking enthusiasm can be remarkably blind.
I adore this ceramic knife. It cuts through apple pie like it
The reality, however, was far from the caramel-drenched dream. Even without the caramel tsunami threatening to engulf my kitchen, the pie was a monumental failure. The apples were not just crunchy; they were alarmingly hard, tasting as if they had barely encountered heat. Despite allowing the pie to cool completely, the filling was so thin and watery it escaped the pie with alarming speed upon slicing. The crumb topping, studded with uncooked, hard oats, was equally unappealing. The entire experience was a textural paradox – a bizarre dance of soggy and hard components.
Undeterred (or perhaps stubbornly foolish), I attempted a second rendition, this time opting for a traditional pie crust top and banishing the crumb topping to the culinary wilderness. The caramel sauce, still hauntingly present in the stickier corners of my kitchen, was also wisely omitted. Yet, even stripped down to its supposed basics, the pie remained resolutely disgusting, destined for the trash. At that point, apple pie seemed like an insurmountable culinary Everest. I vowed to abandon the pursuit, convinced that perfect apple pie was an unattainable myth, and my attempts were demonstrably the worst of the lot.
A close-up of the flaky crust this recipe produces. It
But as they say, time heals all baking wounds. After a six-year apple pie hiatus, my stubborn streak resurfaced. This time, however, I sought guidance from the culinary sages at Cook’s Illustrated. Known for their rigorous recipe testing and deep dives into kitchen science, they offered a beacon of hope in my apple pie darkness. From them, I learned a crucial piece of apple pie wisdom: pectin, the natural substance in apples that helps them set, behaves in surprising ways under heat. While high heat, typical in pie baking, breaks down pectin, causing apples to soften excessively and lose structure, a gentler approach exists. Heating apples to between 140°F and 160°F for a brief period – around 10 minutes – transforms pectin into a heat-stable form. This pre-cooking step allows apples to retain their shape while becoming perfectly tender during baking. Eureka! And the preference for tart apples in pies? Tart varieties boast higher pectin levels, providing superior structural integrity compared to sweeter apples.
Initially inspired by a Cook’s Illustrated recipe, I had an intuition: adding pectin directly to the filling could further ensure a thick, sliceable pie, banishing the dreaded runny filling for good. A quick recipe deep-dive confirmed this approach, revealing recipes that employed both pectin and cornstarch as thickening agents. Embracing this wisdom, I incorporated both into my evolving recipe. The results were transformative – a filling of delectable thickness, the kind that holds its shape beautifully on the plate. Spice considerations also arose. While cinnamon was a given, the temptation to add nutmeg, ginger, and allspice beckoned. However, erring on the side of caution, I initially opted for cinnamon alone, mindful of the advice that too many spices can overshadow the delicate apple flavor. Yet, the idea of subtle spice complexity lingered, hinting at future experimental variations.
Looks like someone
Cook’s Illustrated’s recipe, designed for two pies, yielded an abundance of apple filling – five pounds to be exact. Dividing the bounty in half, I reserved one portion for future baking adventures, transforming the other into an experimental batch. In this second iteration, I amplified the pectin, cinnamon, and even introduced a touch of vanilla extract, curious to explore the flavor nuances. This experimental filling morphed into a Dutch apple pie, and while the vanilla, admittedly added in a double dose error (two teaspoons intended for the full five pounds, not the halved portion), was a bit assertive for my palate, my husband declared it a smashing success. Vanilla, in a more restrained quantity, likely holds a harmonious place in the apple pie flavor profile.
Addressing the nemesis of soggy crusts, I deployed a multi-pronged strategy. A robust, buttery crust, the same recipe I relied on for my beloved Pecan Pie, formed both the bottom and top layers. Crucially, the bottom crust underwent blind-baking – pre-baking before the filling was added. Some bakers advocate for a butter wash on the bottom crust to further thwart sogginess. In my pursuit of crust perfection, the combination of a thick, buttery crust, the residual melted butter from blind baking, and the blind-baking itself culminated in a bottom crust that was gloriously flaky, perfectly crisp, and resolutely unsoggy.
Apple pie, finally, lived up to its blissful reputation. The journey, punctuated by caramel-coated missteps and recipe revelations, had led to a truly exceptional classic apple pie.
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Classic Apple Pie Recipe
Yield: One 9-inch apple pie
Ingredients:
For the Crust: (Double the recipe for top and bottom crusts)
- 1 9-inch deep-dish pie pan
- 2 1/2 cups (300g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- 2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) lard (or vegetable shortening), cold and cut into 6-8 pieces
- 1/4 cup chilled vodka
- 1/4 cup ice water
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream, for brushing
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar, for sprinkling
For the Filling:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 generous tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 teaspoons powdered pectin (SurJell or Pomona’s Universal Pectin)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1 1/4 lbs Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (1/8 inch)
- 1 1/4 lbs Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (1/8 inch)
- Boiling water (1.875 quarts for 2.5 lbs apples)
Instructions:
Making the Crust:
- Chill Ingredients: Place butter and lard in the freezer for 15 minutes. Freeze vodka and ice water separately.
- First Flour Mixture: In a food processor, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse 5-8 seconds to combine.
- Incorporate Cold Fats: Scatter butter and lard over flour mixture. Process until a paste forms (about 15 seconds).
- Second Flour Mixture: Scrape down sides, add remaining 1 cup flour. Pulse 4-8 seconds until mixture resembles dry clumps. Avoid over-processing.
- Hydrate Dough: Transfer to a large bowl. Pour chilled vodka and ice water over dough. Use a spatula to press and flip until liquids are absorbed and a sticky ball forms.
- Chill Dough: Wrap dough in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Repeat: Make a second dough ball for the top crust.
Preparing the Filling:
- Sugar Mixture: In a medium bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch, and pectin. Add butter pieces and toss. Set aside.
- Pre-cook Apples: Place sliced apples in a large heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water over apples and let sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Drain and Combine: Drain apples in a colander. Return to the bowl. Add sugar mixture and toss to combine. Let cool completely.
Assembly and Baking:
- Preheat Oven & Prepare Bottom Crust: Preheat oven to 425°F (or 350°F if your oven runs hot). Roll out one dough ball on a floured surface to 1/2-inch thickness. Refrigerate rolled crust for 10-15 minutes.
- Line Pie Pan & Blind Bake: Carefully transfer crust to pie plate. Press to line the pan without stretching. Crimp edges, overhanging slightly. Dock the bottom with a fork. Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
- Blind Bake: Cover crust with foil and pie weights (or dried beans). Bake for 45 minutes (or 25-35 minutes at 425°F). Remove weights and foil. Bake for another 4-7 minutes until lightly golden. Cool completely.
- Prepare Top Crust: While bottom crust cools, roll out second dough ball for the top crust. Refrigerate.
- Fill and Bake Pie: Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (or 325°F). Place cooled bottom crust on a baking sheet. Fill with cooled apple mixture. Top with chilled top crust. Crimp edges to seal. Brush top with heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar. Cut slits for steam vents.
- Bake: Bake for 30 minutes. Tent loosely with foil and bake for 1 hour more. Remove foil and bake for final 30 minutes until golden brown.
- Cool Completely: Cool pie completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Recipe Notes:
- Filling Yield: This filling recipe makes enough for two pies. Halve ingredients for one pie or save half the filling for another use (cake filling, topping, etc.)
- Sugar Adjustments: Adjust sugar amounts to your sweetness preference.
- Spice Variations: Add nutmeg, ginger, or allspice (1/8-1/4 tsp each) for a more complex spice profile.
Recipe Sources:
- Crust: Cook’s Illustrated All-Time Best Holiday Baking, 2013
- Filling: Cook’s Illustrated All-Time Best Holiday Baking, 2013, Leite’s Culinaria, Serious Eats
- Tips: Serious Eats
