Apple Pie

03.11.2013 - Batam.  I tell ya! This is my DREAM Apple Pie!! Taste just the way i imagined.   There are just too many types of Apple Pie Recipe flying around.  But i used my own recipe, fillings recipe is from my Fried Apple Pie Recipe.  The crust taste just as buttery as eating the Pineapple Tart. So that good.

But the pastry crust given me some hard time, while i roll out my pastry, its start to break apart.   maybe the ingredients need to be studied one more time.  But after this monster baked, i absolutely love the buttery crust!!!! love it love it love it!! I guess all my hard work pays off!! It is delicious and so should i do adjustment with the pastry crust ingredients or just leave it as it is. you tell me!

Ingredients for apple fillings:-

4 big fiji red apple + 2 small red apples -peel & cut into square small pcs ( use any apple you desire)

2tbsp - Cinnamon powder ( if you prefer more cinnamon taste you may add more )

A pinch of grated nutmag 

2tbsp - Butter

5tbsp - Granulated Sugar ( if you prefer sweeter you may add more ) 

1/4 cup - water

( 3 divided into 3 portion, 1st & 2nd portion i blended a second to paste and the 3rd portion i leave it as it is in square, I did not use flour as thickening agent for this recipe )

Ingredients for the pastry:

2 1/2 cups flour

3 tbsp cornstarch

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 tsp salt

1tsp baking powder 

2 sticks/226 gram butter, chilled and cubed ( 1pkt of butter 227g )

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp cold water (if necessary) ( I didn't use water for this crust )

For Glaze/ egg wash:

1 egg and milk - beaten

Method :

Prepare fillings :- 

* Heat Pan, add in butter, stir to melt and add in cut apples cubes mixed well.

* Add in caster sugar and cinnamon powder stir and cook slowly with slow heat till apple become soft.

* If the apple become watery from sugar syrup, add in 1tbsp flour, mixed well and dish up. and if the apple still one cube but have been soften ( different apple different texture ), use a hand blender to blend a second with smaller chunks of apple.

* Set aside wait to cool.

Prepare Pastry Crust :-

*Place Flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk to combine ingredients. Add the butter, and using a pastry blender or your hands, cut the butter into the flour or rub it together until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add egg and the vanilla extract and mix until the dough begins to come together. If the mixture seems too dry and crumbly, add water a tablespoon at a time.

*Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead just until combined [do not overwork the dough]. Shape the dough into a disc, and cover in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes. ( I find my dough very buttery and breaks apart ) but the result is remarkable, very buttery crust. so you have to work very gently with the crust. is quite stressful at this point. but don't give up! you gonna have a great pie in the end of the day!

* Preheat the oven to 350ºF. ( i preheated with 200c at the same time i put in the pastry shell to preheat together, so the crust shell cook a little earlier. I didn't use blind baking because it is not necessary for my crust ) Once again you may not necessary to bake during pre-heating your oven like i did which nobody will do that.. (LOL) i just do the way my way! either totally no need to pre-bake/blind baking or you wanted to you may do so or totally leave it as it is bake together with the fillings at once.

*Lightly grease the bottom and sides of the tart pan. Remove the disc of dough from the refrigerator, roll out the dough and line the bottom of a 9” tart pan or small tart pans. Separates dough into half one for base and for top strips ( i have a hard time of rolling my dough because its breaking apart and i added alot of flour on my working table but still struggling to work on the dough.  The only way i can  roll my dough into the pan is that I used flip over method with cling wrap on my working counter, i use that to transfer the soft pastry crust to my pan successfully instead of using the roller. ) 

*Once the oven pre-heated, i remove my crust from oven and spread the filling evenly over the bottom layer of dough. Carefully place the strips of dough over the filling, forming a crisscross or lattice pattern. Press the edges of the dough strips into the rim of the tart pan, removing any excess.

 *Brush the dough strips, the edges of the tart and the top of the tart/tarts with egg wash. Bake the tart until the top turns golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes. ( i put at 40mins, last 10 mins i brush egg wash on crust for the 2nd time and reduce temperature to 170c ) (depend on your oven). After just 10mins the apple pie eventually smells so good! maybe all the hard work pays off!!

*Remove from the oven, and allow the tart to cool on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes before removing it from the pan. 

* Served in room temperature with Vanilla Ice. 

Here you see two color fromt he top and base.  I prebake the shell crust for 10mins during pre-heating oven, which you might not necessary to follow my way of doing this.  You can either blind baking first or leave it as it is bake at once with fillings. 

So perfectly baked.

so soft and buttery that the crust simply melts on your mouth

Its perfect with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream!!

This perfect Apple Pie is a classic of my dream!