News & Stories
Our Go-To Apple Pie Recipe
Enjoy a taste of the Dining Room at home with Pastry Chef April Franqueza's signature apple pie recipe.
"I love this apple pie recipe because it truly emulates the flavors and scents of Fall! Local apples, buttery crust and just a hint of fall spices... it’s simple, but timeless." — Pastry Chef April Franqueza
Chef April Franqueza's Signature Apple Pie
Yields: 1 - 9" Pie
Pie Crust:
2 ¾ cups (340 grams) All Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon (5 grams) Salt
Pinch of Sugar
1 cup (226 grams) Butter, Cold
⅔ cup (160 grams) Ice Water
Directions: In a bowl, combine the AP flour, salt and sugar, tossing with your hands to combine. Place in either a food processor or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (also feel free to work by hand, which is what I do at home). Cube the cold butter into ½ inch pieces, tossing into the flour mixture. Mix, or pulse if using a food processor, until a shaggy mass forms. *Do not overmix, or you will have a tough, not flaky, pie dough!* Add the ice water a little at a time, while mixing or pulsing. Continue adding the ice water until a dough ball forms, but if there are still a few shaggy pieces, that’s perfectly fine. Remove from the machine, separate into 2 dough balls, cover and place in the refrigerator.
Apple Filling:
Variety of 8-10 different apples (Chef's Note: "I love local NC varieties such as Mutsu, Jonagold or Winesap!")
½ cup (100 grams) Light Brown Sugar
3 tablespoons (28 grams) Cornstarch
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
¼ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon Ground Cloves
Heavy Pinch of Salt
Juice of 1 Lemon
Directions: Peel, core and chop your apples, ensuring the chopped pieces are similar in size, so that they cook evenly. In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, cornstarch, spices and salt, mixing to combine, then tossing the apples into the dry mixture. Place into a pot, and bring to a light simmer, cooking until the outside of the apples begin to soften. Once they begin to soften, remove from heat and set aside.
Preheat your oven to 375°F.
Remove the pie dough from the fridge. On a floured surface, roll your pie dough to about 12 inches, to ensure it fits up and over the sides of the pie plate. Set it aside. Roll out your other ball of dough in the same manner, but only to about 10 inches. Either cut into strips for your lattice, or leave as a sheet.
Pour the apples into your lined pie plate. Use a spoon to tightly pack them in, so that as they shrink during cooking, they won’t leave too much extra space. Using your extra sheet of pie dough, either braid a lattice top or just lay it over the apples, cutting a design in the dough to allow steam to escape.
Regardless of which top you choose, place one egg in a cup, and beat with a fork and a tablespoon of milk. Use your finger or a pastry brush to brush the edges of the pie dough with the egg wash, then seal the top layer to the bottom layer by pressing them together. Trim away any excess pie dough that overhangs the edge of the pie plate, then crimp the edges, with either your fingers or a fork. Brush the top of the dough with the egg wash and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes, and the pie should begin to turn golden. Turn the oven temperature down to 350°F, and continue to bake for about 45 more minutes.
- If you chopped the apples very small, less baking time could be considered, as we’re only cooking for this long to ensure our apples are soft throughout.
- If you notice that the edges of crust are getting darker than you’d like, place a piece of aluminum foil over them to prevent them from further coloring.
Remove from the oven, and allow to cool before enjoying. If you’d like to enjoy it warm, just be aware that the apple filling will be gooey and won’t give you the picture-perfect slice! But it will be excellent with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
