Cooking brings me great comfort. I realize it doesn't work like that for everybody, but I think cooking -- especially baking, with its methodical processes -- calms the soul. And so, on this September 11th, fourteen years later, the food-related thing I thought to share on my blog is a recipe for the most American of comfort foods: apple pie. (It's not my recipe, but Rose Levy Beranbaum is a trusted expert). My Italian friends love it. Americans can't help but love it. And of course, what's more representative of The Big Apple?
ALL-AMERICAN APPLE PIE
- 2 1/2 pounds baking apples (about 6 medium or 8 cups ), peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch thick *
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 to 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Flaky Cream Cheese Pie Crust (makes one single crust):
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon pastry flour or 1 cup bleached All-purpose flour, (dip and sweep method)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup cream cheese, cold
- 1 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
Instructions
For the crust:
1. Cut the butter into small (about 3/4-inch) cubes. Wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze it until frozen solid, at least 30 minutes. Place the flour, salt, and baking powder in a reclosable gallon-size freezer bag and freeze for at least 30 minutes.
2. Place the flour mixture in a food processor with the metal blade and process for a few seconds to combine. Set the bag aside.
3. Cut the cream cheese into 3 or 4 pieces and add it to the flour. Process for about 20 seconds or until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the frozen butter cubes and pulse until none of the butter is larger than the size of peas; toss with a fork to see it better. Remove the cover and add the water and vinegar. Pulse until most of the butter is reduced to the size of small peas. The mixture will be in particles and will not hold together. Spoon it into the plastic bag and for a double pie crust divide the mixture in half at this point.
4. Holding both ends of the bag opening with your fingers, knead the mixture by alternately pressing it from the outside of the bag with the knuckles and heels of your hands until the mixture holds together in one piece and feels slightly stretchy when pulled.
5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, flatten it into a disk, and refrigerate it for at least 45 minutes and preferably overnight.
6. Remove the dough for the bottom crust from the refrigerator. If necessary, allow it to sit for about 10 minutes or until it is soft enough to roll.
7. On a floured pastry cloth or between two sheets of lightly floured plastic wrap, roll the bottom crust 1/8-inch thick or less and 12 inches in diameter. Transfer it to a 9-inch pie pan. Trim the edge almost even with the edge of the pan. Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for a minimum of 30 minutes and a maximum of 3 hours.
For the filling:
8. In a large bowl, combine the apples, lemon juice, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and toss to mix. Allow the apples to macerate at room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes and a maximum of 3 hours.
9. Transfer the apples and their juices to a colander suspended over a bowl to capture the liquid. The mixture will release at least 1/2 cup of liquid.
10. In a small saucepan (preferably nonstick), over medium-high heat, boil down this liquid, with the butter, to about 1/3 cup (a little more if you started with more than 1/2 cup of liquid), or until syrupy and lightly caramelized. Swirl the liquid but do not stir it. Meanwhile, transfer the apples to a bowl and toss them with the cornstarch until all traces of it have disappeared.
Pour the syrup over the apples, tossing gently. (Do not be concerned if the liquid hardens on contact with the apples; it will dissolve during baking.)
11. Roll out the top crust large enough to cut a 12-inch circle. Use an expandable flan ring or a cardboard template and a sharp knife as a guide to cut the circle.