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The Best Apple Pie Ever

CurvyMama Pies
CurvyMama's unique take on apple pie! Rich and luscious, with an apple-cider reduction.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • One double-crust batch of pie crust
  • For the fruit filling:
  • About 3 pounds of apples peeled, cored and sliced
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
  • A couple of dashes of salt
  • A couple generous squeezes fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 c. cider syrup see recipe below
  • For the cider syrup:
  • 1 gallon good-quality apple cider preferably freshly pressed from a local farm

Instructions
 

  • To make the cider syrup:
  • A quick note on the syrup: It's best to make a batch or two early each fall, when cider becomes available. That way it's ready to go when you want to make a pie. Here's how you make it:
  • Pour the cider into a heavy soup pot. Bring it to a boil, uncovered. Reduce heat to allow the cider to simmer. Let it simmer 4-5 hours, stirring occasionally.
  • In the last half-hour, check and stir more frequently to keep it from burning. When it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon--a little thinner than maple syrup--turn off the heat and let the syrup cool.
  • When it's cool or barely warm, pour it into a glass jar that can be sealed. Keep refrigerated. This syrup can last in the fridge for many months!
  • To make the pie:
  • Roll out bottom pie crust. Line 9-inch pie pan with it.
  • In a big bowl, combine apples and all the dry ingredients. Mix til coated. Add the cider syrup. Mix until it's evenly distributed through the fruit.
  • Spoon the fruit mixture into the bottom crust. Roll out the top crust and cover the fruit with it. Trim the edges, roll under and crimp the pie crust. Cut a few vents in the top crust. Put the pie in the freezer.
  • Preheat the oven to 425, for about 15 minutes, or until you're sure it's reached 425. By this time, your pie has chilled nicely.
  • Take the pie out of the freezer. Brush it lightly with egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes or so. Reduce oven temperature to 375 and bake another 45 minutes or so.
  • Take the pie out and check for doneness: Is the pastry a gorgeous, deep-brown color? Can you see juices bubbling in the vents? If not, bake for another 10 minutes.
  • Let the pie cool on a rack. If you can wait 6-8 hours to cut into it, that would help ensure that the filling sets up nicely. But if you can't, no one's going to tell.

Notes

Try to use a few different kinds of apples for good, complex flavor. Choose some apples that are sweeter, some that are spicy or tart. Go for varieties that are firm and hold up well during baking. East-Coast varieties I love are Winesap, Cortland, Stayman and Gold Rush. On the West Coast, I love Black Arkansas, Mutsu, Melrose and Cameo.