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Tuesday, 08 September 2009 |
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Thinner than a conventional pie and twice as big, this double-crusted wonder is
almost like a fruit-filled bar cookie. We started with a recipe from Cook’s
Country magazine, but balked at the idea of using packaged pie dough and
stumbled over the tapioca starch in the filling. Since our apples were not very
tart, we spiked the filling with a tablespoon of organic apple cider vinegar.
(Makes one 12 x 16 inch rectangular pie; serves 18 to 24)
For the pastry dough:
4 cups flour, plus
additional flour for rolling
10 ounces organic
shortening (about 2 cups)
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup cold water
For the Filling:
4 pounds (about 12 medium) apples
1 cup organic sugar
1 tablespoon organic apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon cinnamon
For the Glaze:
reserved juice from the apples, (see step 2)
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1.) To make the pastry
dough: Combine the flour, shortening and salt. (If you wish to use a food
processor, divide the ingredients in half and make 2 batches.) When the mixture
is uniformly crumbly, sprinkle on the water and toss with your fingers to
combine. Do not knead the dough or over work it. As soon as it is loosely
combined, divide it into two equal pieces and roll each one out on a
well-floured surface to form two 12 x 16inch rectangles. Use one sheet of
pastry to line a 12 x 16-inch rimmed baking sheet, pressing the edges of the
dough up the sides of the pan; put the other one on a sheet of baking
parchment. Chill the pastry while you make the filling.
2.) To prepare the apples: Peel and core the apples and slice them very thin, about 1/8-inch thick;
(the slicer attachment on a food processor works well for this). In a mixing
bowl, toss the apple slices with the sugar and vinegar and allow them to stand
for about 20 minutes, or until they begin to release some of their juices.
Holding the apple slices in the bowl, pour the residual juice into a small
saucepan and save it to make the glaze.
3.) To assemble and bake the pie: Preheat the oven to 350. Toss the drained apples with the cornstarch and cinnamon and then transfer
the filling to the pastry-lined pan. Top with the second rectangle of pastry
and press the dough around the edges to seal. Poke steam vents into the top
crust with a fork. Bake the pie until the filling is bubbling over the crust,
about one hour. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes then top with the glaze.
4.) To make the glaze, measure the reserved juices form the drained apples, if
you have more than a quarter cup, boil the juice down until it is reduced to 1/4
cup. Whisk in the butter and the powdered sugar and spread the mixture evenly
over the cooled apple pie.
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