Apple Pie from Scratch

I am clearly Italian, but I have strong American roots in my cuisine. My signature dishes include roast chicken, biscuits and apple pie. In fact, if I have to take dinner to someone, that’s what I make. It’s a friendly meal that is easy to put together, and smacks of love.

Nothing on this earth is as good as a homemade apple pie, baked from scratch,  and like a roast chicken,  it is universally loved. Have you ever met a person who doesn’t eat apple pie? I haven’t. Apple pie from scratch makes me go all out too. I want to make it sky high or turn it into a tart, and there always has to be ice cream.

In the Fall, I like to use the Autumn Leaves Cut out, but let your imagination run wild. You can choose stars and stripes, or even ghost cut-outs.  

What Makes an Apple Pie from Scratch Perfect?

Apple pie from scratch has to have balance, meaning, the pie crust has to be great, but so does that filling. I don’t like grocery store pies that are too sweet or too mushy. I make my apple pie only as sweet as I need it to be and not a drop of sugar more.

The only thing that I love more than plain old apple pie, is Christmas Apple Pie, where I use Christmas tree cookie cut outs to make the top crust and swirl in raspberry (or blackberry) preserves or jam to add color and additional flavor.

You could make this with an Autumn theme or just give it a plain crust, but I love to see the apples peaking through. You can go healthier by using this spelt pie crust.

This is not a super sweet recipe, and I wouldn’t change a thing, but you can certainly add more sugar or even replace the sugar and use stevia.

I have another amazing apple pie tart here where the apples are first cooked on top of the stove.

How about you. Do you have any good apple recipes? Leave me a link. I’d love to connect with you.

Ideas for Apple Pie from Scratch

• Add flavored jam as apricot for Fall, raspberry for Christmas, blueberry for Summer.
• Crush some graham crackers on the bottom of the pie between the pie dough and apples for crunch. Taylor Swift recommended that in what she calls her epic apple pie.
• Make individual tarts and put a cut-out on each top.
• Sprinkle with colored sugar.
• Mix fruit like grapes (recipe here).
• Bake Berries into the pie (recipe here).

More Ideas for Apple Pi

Print Recipe

3 from 2 votes

Apple Pie from Scratch

The best apple pie all from scratch with options and fun crust outs using cookie cutters.

Prep Time1 hour hr

Cook Time50 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 50 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8

Author: Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 double pie dough recipe see below
• 8 cups apples thinly sliced (see note)
• juice of half lemon
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons raw sugar
• 1 tablespoon tapioca or cornstarch

Pie Crust Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 15 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 6 tablespoons iced cold water

Finishing Pie

• 1 egg for egg wash

Instructions

Prepare Apples

• Peel, core and slice apples thinly
• Toss with lemon juice.
• Mix cinnamon into sugar. Toss with apples.
• Let sit for about an hour, while making pie dough. Refrigerate pie crust for at least 30 minutes.
• After an hour you’ll notice a juice from the apples is expelled.

Pie Crust Instructions

• Mix flour with salt and sugar.
• Cut in cold butter to pea sized pieces. Be careful not to smear butter. These little pieces will melt in oven, developing flakey pie crust.
• Slowly add cold water and mix until dough forms. I use a kitchen aid and stop while dough is still shaggy. It will come together once placed In plastic bag. If it seems too dry add a little more water. Press the dough together In the bag. Refrigerate for one hour or overnight.

Roll Out Pie Dough

• Take dough out of refrigerator and allow to sit for 20 minutes. Divide pie dough in two. Roll out pie dough for the bottom to about 1/8 inch thick. Roll out second piece of dough and place on parchment and put back in fridge.
• Place in bottom of pie pan. Fork bottom. Place in freezer for 10 minutes.
• Toss apple mixture with 1 tablespoon of tapioca or corn starch.
• Place into the pie.
• Take out second piece of dough, Either place over pie or do cut outs.
• Brush on egg wash (beat egg with a teaspoon of water). This will give a more golden glossy brown. Milk will help brown, but won't give a glossy appearance.
• Bake for 50 minutes at 400 degrees or until golden brown.

Notes

Apples: I use gala because I don’t need to add a lot of sugar; they don’t get too juicy, stay crisp. If you like juicier, mix gala (or that type of apple) with golden delicious.

For Christmas Apple Pie: Use Christmas cookie cut outs and two tablespoons of raspberry jam drizzled over the apples before you put the top on. To bring that Christmas flavor through even further, crush graham crackers on the top of the bottom crust before putting the apples on.

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