PIES
Apple Pie (The Best)
1. Choose Butter
From the get-go, we had a very clear idea of the type of dough we were looking for: incredibly flaky and scrumptious. We didn’t have to search very far because we knew very well there was only one ingredient to help us reach the desired effect: butter!
2. Rely on Vinegar
When dealing with pastry, the dough is always lighter when a touch of acidity is added to it because it serves to break the protein in the flour. But what ingredient yields the best result? Sour cream? Lemon juice? We tested them all. In the end, we chose cider vinegar because it made sense with the apples. Note: white vinegar also gives excellent results.
3. Precook the Apples
According to us, the best apple pie should taste of, well…apples! And to succeed, there should be as many as possible. During our research, we thought of precooking the apples before filling the dough. It was an absolute revelation. First, the pie could contain many more this way (12 apples instead of just 4 to 6 in an ordinary pie). Then, there was less liquid at the bottom of the pie once cooked: As the apples had released all their water while precooking, there was no liquid left to soak the dough during baking.
4. Choose Your Apple Variety Well
In an apple pie, the Cortland variety is essential because of its firm, melt-in-the-mouth texture. But from the beginning we knew that we also wanted to use some McIntosh because they dissolve more quickly and we needed that compote to bind the apples together. Our biggest surprise was discovering that the apples released much less liquid when cut into wedges rather than diced.
5. Cut Holes in the Top Pastry
Of course, a soggy bottom is out of the question. To make sure that whatever juice is left evaporates properly, there’s only one solution: cutting holes in the top sheet of pastry. We tried using a knife and scissors, but we never got the desired result. In the end, we used a pastry cutter, cut out several small holes, and it worked!
6. Don’t Forget the Milk
Generally, to get a perfectly golden pie, we like to brush egg yolk on the pastry top. For this recipe, we tested it using milk instead. To our great surprise, the result was the same and the process even simpler!
Feel like cooking other apple recipes and enjoying that delicious aroma throughout the house during the cold season? Get inspired with this article: