Precious Art By Precious People

A recipe with a little twist.

Dough:

• 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more
• 14 tbsp (1 ¾ sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/3 cup chilled shortening, cut into pieces

Filling:

• 4 lbs. Granny Smith apples, peeled, sliced into ½ inch wedges
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ¼ cup plus 1 heaping tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus more
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
• ½ cup (packed) light brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 large egg, beaten to blend
• Lightly sweetened crème fraiche or whipped cream (for serving)

Directions:

Make the dough: Mix salt and 2 ¾ cups flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment on low speed to combine. Add butter and shortening and beat on medium-low until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Drizzle in 1/3 cup ice water, then beat adding splashes of ice water as needed, until dough just comes together. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Gently press together and flatten a couple of time, about 30 seconds. Divide dough in half; pat into disks. Wrap in plastic; chill at least 2 hours. Dough can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.

Filling and assembly: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Toss apples, 1 cup granulated sugar and ¼ cup flour in a large bowl. Divide between 2 rimmed baking sheets; bake, rotating baking sheets once, until apple are just tender, 25-20 minutes. Let cool, then transfer apples and accumulated juices to a large bowl. Add butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and 1 heaping tablespoon flour; toss to combine. Chill at least 1 hour.

Let dough sit at room temperature to soften slightly, about 5 minutes. Roll out 1 disk on a lightly floured surface to a 13 inch round. Transfer to a 9 inch pie dish. Lift up edges; let dough slump down into dish. Trim, leaving ½ inch overhang. Roll out remaining disk. Scrape apples into dish and place dough over top; trim, leaving 1 inch overhang. Fold edge of top crust under bottom crust, press together to seal, and crimp. Cut 8 slits in top to vent, brush with egg, and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Chill pie in freezer until crust is firm, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place pie on parchment lined rimmed baking sheet; bake 30 minutes (crust should be slightly golden). Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking until juices are bubbling and crust is deep golden brown, 50-60 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool at least 4 hours before slicing. Serve with crème fraiche.

Chilling the filled pie before serving helps it keep its shape; pre-roasting the apples packs in more flavor. Roasted apples can be made 1 day ahead; keep chilled. Serves 8.

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.
THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.
www.thasc.com