Dutch apple pie has always been a part of my family Thanksgivings, or at least for as long as I can remember. My mom doesn’t fancy herself a baker, but she would always pick up a Mrs. Smith Dutch apple pie, as well as a spiced pumpkin pie for herself.
Once I got into baking, and trying my hand at pies, I tackled the Dutch Apple. , from Cook’s Illustrated, is a fantastic book for baking science and testing techniques, and it’s where I found my first Dutch Apple recipe to work with.
Since then, I’ve adapted the recipe to fit my own needs and tastes, and it’s always a joy to make and bring to my family table.
Ingredients
Directions
Begin with the pie dough so it has time to chill. Pulse together flour, sugar and salt in a food processor.
Blend in butter by dropping a cube at a time into the food processer, just until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps.
Drizzle 3 tbsp whiskey over the mixture and pulse a few times until incorporated.
Squeeze a small handful of dough: If it doesn't hold together, add more whiskey or ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing until just incorporated, then test again. Do not overwork dough, or pastry will be tough.
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. With heel of your hand, smear the dough once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat.
Gather dough together, with a pastry scraper if you have one, and press into a ball.
Form into 1 disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
Once the pie dough has chilled, grease a pie plate and roll out the bottom crust. Fit it into the plate, trimming the edge, folding it under, and then pinching it into a fluted design.
Place the bottom crust into the fridge to chill for 40 minutes, or in the freezer for a faster chill of 20 minutes.
For the filling, combine the peeled, cored and sliced apples in a large mixing bowl with the sugar, Chinese 5 Spice and salt. Toss to combine.
Heat the butter in a dutch oven over medium-high heat until the foaming subsides. Add the apple mixture and cook with the lid on for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the lid and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes until the apples have softened.
Place a colander over a large bowl and drain the apples, shaking a bit to get as much juice drained as possible. Set the apples aside.
Return the juices to the dutch oven and add the heavy cream. Heat the mixture over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring.
Continue cooking and stirring the juice/cream mixture until it's thick enough that a wooden spoon leaves a trail in the mixture. This should be about 5 minutes. Once thickened, take off the heat and set aside.
Heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare the crust for a blind bake. Line the top of the crust with parchment paper or aluminum foil and fill with either dried beans or pie weights.
Bake for 18-25 minutes until the crust is lightly golden. Cool on a wire rack while you make the streusel.
To make the streusel, combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar, Chinese 5 spice and salt, stirring. Pour the melted butter over the dry ingredients, tossing with a fork until all is evenly moistened. The mixture should form large chunks as well as smaller, pea-sized pieces.
Line a baking pan with parchment paper and turn the streusel out onto, spreading it out. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the streusel is golden. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
To assemble the pie, heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and prep a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (this will help catch any drips).
Spoon the apples into the crust, spreading them out evenly, then spoon over the cream mixture. Crumble the streusel over the top and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the filling is bubbling slightly.
Remove from the oven and cool before serving.
https://cupcakefridayproject.com/2014/11/dutch-apple-pie-a-thanksgiving-tradition/
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