Apple Pie Spiced Apples (Printer-Friendly)

Tender spiced apples inside a flaky crust, perfect warm with vanilla ice cream.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pie Crust

01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon salt
03 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
05 - 6 to 8 tablespoons ice water

→ Apple Filling

06 - 6 to 7 medium apples (mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
07 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
08 - 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
09 - 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
10 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
11 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
12 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
13 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
14 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

→ Assembly

15 - 1 egg, beaten
16 - 1 tablespoon milk
17 - 1 tablespoon coarse sugar (optional)

# How To Make:

01 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and sugar. Cut in cold butter using a pastry blender or fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add ice water, mixing just until dough forms. Divide into two disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least one hour.
02 - Toss peeled and sliced apples with granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, flour, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Set aside to macerate.
03 - Preheat oven to 400°F. On a floured surface, roll out one dough disk to fit a 9-inch pie dish. Gently place crust into dish. Fill with apple mixture and dot with butter. Roll out second dough disk and cover filling. Trim excess dough, seal and crimp edges, then cut vents on top crust.
04 - Whisk egg with milk and brush over top crust. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired. Bake on lower rack for 45 to 55 minutes until crust is golden and filling bubbles. Cover edges with foil if browning too quickly.
05 - Allow pie to cool on a wire rack for at least two hours before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature, optionally with vanilla ice cream.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The crust actually stays flaky because cold butter and ice water are your secret weapons.
  • That perfect balance of tart Granny Smith and sweet Honeycrisp apples means no filling is bland or one-dimensional.
  • It's forgiving enough for a weeknight effort but impressive enough to serve at a dinner party without apology.
02 -
  • If your crust tears as you're fitting it into the dish, simply patch it with a scrap of dough and pinch it together; no one will ever know.
  • Don't skip the cooling time—cutting into a warm pie results in a runny mess instead of neat, beautiful slices.
  • The pie actually tastes better the next day because the flavors have time to meld and mellow.
03 -
  • Blind-bake your bottom crust for 5 minutes before adding filling if your oven runs cool; this prevents a soggy bottom.
  • Use a pie shield or foil tent once the edges start turning golden to prevent burning while the filling finishes cooking.
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