Three Babes Bakeshop's Classic Apple Pie

Serves 8

2½ pounds apples, washed, cored, and thinly sliced (any tart apple that's in season)

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

¾ cup sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon allspice

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 homemade pie crust (see below)

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons coarse sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. After prepping the apples, sprinkle the lemon juice over the slices to prevent browning.

3. Mix the flour, sugar, spices, and salt together, and add to the apple slices.

4. Add the lemon zest and butter and toss together.

5. Add the apple mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bake for approximately 10 minutes, until the apples are barely fork tender.

6. Remove from oven and toss again to ensure that the apples are thoroughly coated with sugar, spices, and butter. Let cool completely.

7. Raise oven temperature to 400 degrees.

8. Spoon the cooled apple filling into the chilled pie crust.

9. Weave strips of lattice over the top of the filling.

10. Trim the overhang of the strips, and roll the edges of the bottom crust tightly up around the pie, so the lattice and bottom crust become one rope, which rests on top of the pie plate's edge.

11. Press the outer crust between two knuckles of one hand and the thumb or index finger of the other to flute the edge.

12. Brush all exposed crust with cream, and sprinkle liberally with coarse sugar. (At this point, if the pastry has gotten a bit warm from weaving the lattice and fluting the edge, place pie in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.)

13. Bake on a parchment-lined sheet pan for 15 minutes.

14. Rotate the pie 180 degrees, and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake for an additional 45 to 50 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling.

15. Allow to cool and then serve.

Pie Shell:

Ingredients:

1 stick plus 1 tablespoon butter

⅓ cup ice water

1½ teaspoons vinegar

1½ teaspoons sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1½ cups flour

1. Cut butter into ½-inch cubes and place in the freezer

2. Measure out ice water and stir in the vinegar, sugar, and salt until they are dissolved. Place in the freezer to chill.

3. Measure the flour into a chilled bowl.

4. Remove butter from freezer and, using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Use your hands to break up any large pieces of butter until they are the size of small peas.

5. Sprinkle the chilled water–vinegar mixture on the flour and butter a little at a time, tossing the mixture at first and then pressing it together with your hands, until the dough just comes together.

6. Pat dough into a disk, wrap with plastic, and chill for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.

7. Butter a 10-inch pie plate.

8. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough, being sure to keep your rolling surface well floured to prevent sticking, and then fit into pie plate.

9. Trim any excess crust so that the rolled-out dough barely touches the counter on which the pie plate sits.

10. Save the trimmings. Form them into a rectangular disk, and wrap in plastic wrap for later use.

11. Chill both the bottom shell and scrap disk for at least 30 minutes.

12. Roll out the scrap disk into a rectangular shape about ⅛-inch thick, and then cut into strips approximately 2 inches wide for the top-crust lattice. Chill on a sheet pan in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.

// For Thanksgiving pickup and delivery from Three Babes Bakeshop, go to threebabesbakeshop.com.