I bought lots and lots of apples last week, 18 if you must know. This is what I am good at. The moment I spot seasonal fruit in the market I go C.R.A.Z.Y. Apples are not seasonal anymore but I refrain myself from buying them in the summer months.

I think at the back of my mind I just wanted to bake a pie. Sometimes you have that itch to get over with something and that's how it was with me. 

So I researched on the internet for the recipes and after an hour settled for this one. I adapted it a bit. Here is my version of the recipe:

Ingredients

Dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
0.5 stick tablespoons cold butter
2 Tablespoons milk
(The original recipe said 1 egg but I didn't have it)
1 tablespoon Refined Oil


Filling:
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Note: I was out of lemons so I just used half a lemon and 1 tablespoon Vinegar
4 apples
2/3 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling on the pie
Note: I used jaggery sugar here
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Generous pinch of ground nutmeg

Method:
Prepare the dough. In a bowl, whisk the flour. cut butter in to pea sized pieces and work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resemble crumbled meal. Knead the dough for a bit and add oil to pull it together. You can add cold water over the mixture.

Note: You can use the food processor to prepare the dough easily. I prefer using my hands.

Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour.

Filling

Using my Instagram pic which I shared with my run

Slice and core the apples.
Note: I never peel my apples. I think thats just nutrition lost.

Cut each half into 4 wedges. Toss the apple with the lemon juice. Add the sugar and toss to combine evenly. Add lemon juice.


In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the apples, and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to simmer, about 2 minutes. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until the apples soften and release most of their juices, about 7 minutes.

Strain the apples in a colander over a medium bowl to catch all the juice. Shake the colander to get as much liquid as possible. Return the juices to the skillet, and simmer over medium heat until thickened and lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes ( I added a bit of jaggery and the juice became quite thick).

In a medium bowl, toss the apples with the reduced juice and spices. Set aside to cool completely. (This filling can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated or frozen for up to 6 months.)

Cut the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll each half of dough into a disc about 11 to 12 inches wide. Layer the dough between pieces of parchment or wax paper on a baking sheet, and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes.

Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Line the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan with one of the discs of dough, and trim it so it lays about 1/2 inch beyond the edge of the pan. Put the apple filling in the pan and mound it slightly in the center. Brush the top edges of the dough with milk. Place the second disc of dough over the top. Fold the top layer of dough under the edge of the bottom layer and press the edges together to form a seal. Flute the edge as desired. Sprinkle with sugar. Pierce the top of the dough in several places to allow steam to escape while baking. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

Note: For the top dough layer I used the very rusty lattice pattern ( can't blame me it was 10:00 PM and I wanted to have pie for dessert)
There's a proper way to do the lattice pattern and next time I will follow that.



Bake the pie on a baking sheet until the crust is golden, about 50 minutes. Cool on a rack before serving. 


Ciao..