How to Make Deep Dish Apple Pie
The problem with baking extra-thick apple pies is that the apples shrink as they cook! This leaves a gap between the crust and the apples, which usually collapses upon cooling. What to do? The trick is to gently cook the apples first so that they do their reducing before they go in the pie. I settled on this recipe after trying several approaches to making mile-high apple pies. The crust substitutes some of the flour with almond flour, and comes from an apple pie recipe in Oprah Magazine. I first learned about the method for cooking the apples first for a deep-dish apple pie in Cooks Illustrated. For more information on which apple varieties are best for baking, check out our Guide to Apples.
Like Apple Pie? Here Are More Great Apple Pie Recipes
Apple Slab Pie Classic Apple Pie Sour Cream Apple Pie Apple Cranberry Currant Crumble Pie
Thanksgiving Pies from Simply Recipes
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
1/2 cup almond flour or finely ground blanched almonds
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very cold, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1 heaping teaspoon brown sugar
3 to 6 tablespoons nonfat milk, very cold
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 large egg yolk
For the filling:
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
5 pounds mixed apples (Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Fuji, Jonagold, Pippin, Braeburn, Cortland, McIntosh), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Add butter and pulse 6 to 8 times, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing until mixture begins to clump together. Remove dough from machine and shape into 2 discs. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Transfer apples to a large, thick-bottomed covered pan or Dutch oven and cook, covered, over medium heat, stirring frequently, until apples are just tender when poked with a fork, but still hold their shape - about 15 to 20 minutes (but not so long for the apples to turn into applesauce. Put apples in a colander over a bowl to drain excess liquid. Drain off as much juice as possible. Spread out on a sheet pan to cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch circle; about 1/8 of an inch thick. As you roll out the dough, use a metal spatula to check if the dough is sticking to the surface below. Add a few sprinkles of flour if necessary to keep the dough from sticking. Gently fold in half. Place on to a 9-inch pie plate, lining up the fold with the center of the pan. Gently unfold and press down to line the pie dish with the dough. Fold the dough under itself so that the edge of the fold is flush with the edge of the pan. Flute edges using thumb and forefinger or press with a fork.
