There is little in this world that says autumn more than warm, tender apple slices bathed in sweet spices with a flaky crust. With the holidays just around the corner, each bite of cinnamon goodness comforts the soul, brings family closer together, and honors the apple harvest. Abuelita’s pie is a delicious, foolproof recipe that comes together in just about 2 ½ hours and yields 8-10 servings.
Ingredients:
Crust
- 2½ cups flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 cup chilled unsalted butter
- 6 to 8 tbsp cold water
Filling
- 3 lbs of tart apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ½ inch slices
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg (optional but recommended)
- 1 egg, beaten
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Place flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Cut the butter into small pieces and add them. Process until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the machine running, add cold ice water through the feed tube until the dough forms a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- To make the filling, toss the apples, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a medium bowl using a rubber spatula, ensuring the spices are distributed evenly.
- Divide the dough in half. Roll out 1 piece into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Line a 9-inch pie plate (or whatever size you have) with the dough, leaving the edge untrimmed. Spoon the apple filling into the pie shell. Roll out the remaining dough into another 11-inch circle. Carefully place over the top of the pie. Trim and crimp the edges. Cut 4 steam vents in the top of the pie. Gently brush the beaten egg over the top until it is completely covered.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375°F and bake for an additional 40 minutes. Tent pie with aluminum foil if the crust starts to get too brown. The pie is ready to be taken out of the oven when the crust has developed a golden sheen and the apples are tender when stuck with a fork.
- Recommended to rest for at least 20 minutes after coming out of the oven before slicing. Serve with a dollop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for maximum satisfaction. For any leftovers, place them in a Tupperware container and store them in the fridge. Enjoy!
