Apple pies are so common and classic, it may seem that they are all the same. But, as it always is with classic food recipes, there are as many variations and tastes to them as there are people who cook them.
This traditional apple pie recipe I’ve been using for years, is my grandmother’s. She was very particular about the food she ate and cooked, so you can count on her having quite a few tricks up her sleeve to make this pie as great as possible.
There are a few tricks to it, some I have from Gran, some I experimentally stumbled upon, and I’m going to share them all so that you don’t have to.
The biggest secret to making the dough melt-in-your-mouth crisp, flakey and perfect of texture is this: refrigerate it. If you’re adding water, make sure it’s ice cold so that the flour doesn’t even think of rising while you’re kneading. Refrigerate the dough for at least one hour before baking. Or, if possible, overnight.
I prefer using sour apple varieties, such a Granny Smith, and I always use lemon juice. It makes the apples give away more juice and creates a wonderful contrast between the filling and the dough.
Follow the instructions below carefully, as it is important to keep to the technique. Good luck with this pie! The apple season is upon us and what could be better than having a piece of wonderful apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream after dinner?
