Home for the Holidays

Passport & Plate - Apple Pie a la Pixie

USA | Friday, March 7, 2014 | 6 photos

Ingredients
For the crust:

3 cups wheat flour (King Arthur All-Purpose)
(Note: King Arthur flour is known for its high protein content. If you cannot find King Arthur flour, seek an all-purpose flour that has at least 4 grams of protein per ¼ cup (16 grams of protein per one cup of flour. It makes a difference.)

1 cup Earth's Best Vegan Butter Sticks

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

cold water


For the filling:

5 Granny Smith apples (medium)

3 McIntosh apples (medium)
(Note: If McIntosh are unavailable, Braeburn apples are a good substitute.)

½ cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ teaspoon cinnamon
(Note: After tasting the result, additional cinnamon – up to ¼ teaspoon – may be added.)

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon grated lemon rind

1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
(Note: If the apples are very sweet, additional lemon juice – up to ½ tablespoon – may be added. Fresh lemon juice is best. There is no substitute. The lemon gives brightness to the flavors.)

3 tablespoons Minute tapioca
(Note: Finely granulated tapioca is required. The filling must sit at least 15 minutes after adding the tapioca so that it expands and softens before baking. This is a must. No exceptions.)

soy milk (optional – for top crust, if desired.)

light brown sugar (optional – to dust the top crust after brushing with soy milk)

Tools you will need:

Food processor that has a work bowl, dough blade, and cylindrical slicing tool

Rolling pin

Mrs. Anderson's 11-inch pie crust bag (Note: It makes rolling the pie crust a snap) (see photo)

Mrs. Anderson's Pie collar (see photo)

9.5-inch glass pie plate (Pyrex)

Vegetable peeler

Large bowl to mix apple filling

Large spoon for mixing the filling

Kitchen scissors (for snipping vent holes)

Silicone spatula

Silicone pastry brush

Betty Crocker pie cutters for decorative additions (optional)

 

How to prepare this recipe
Place dough blade in food processor's work bowl. Combine flour and salt in bowl. Pulse 7 times.

Divide each 4-ounce vegan butter stick into thirds. Divide into 1/3 and 2/3 portions. Cut 2/3 butter into small squares. Sprinkle atop flour. Pulse until mixture resembles fine meal.

Cut remaining butter into small squares. Sprinkle atop mixture. Pulse until mixture is coarse.

Do not over-mix.

Combine slightly beaten egg, apple cider vinegar, and enough water to make one-half cup liquid. Pour it in work bowl evenly atop mixture. Pulse about 8 times. Scrape mixture from sides. Pulse until it clings to form dough.

Place dough on clean surface. Form into ball. Cut in half. Form each into disc. Wrap each in clear plastic wrap. Place in fridge.

This recipe produces a perfect, flaky pie crust every time. It is also very forgiving. If it tears, pinch it together. It becomes seamless.

Peel apples. Cut into quarters. Trim out core. Remove dough from fridge; let rest on counter.

Install slicing disc to food processor. Slice apples. Place in large bowl.

Add light brown sugar, pure vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, grated lemon peel, lemon juice and tapioca. Mix well. Let sit 15 minutes. Taste. If desired, add more cinnamon or lemon juice to taste.

Unzip pie bag. Dust with flour. Place dough disc in center. Zip. Roll out.

Flour work surface. Unzip bag. Flip dough out. Roll to large circle. Fold dough in half and in half again. Place in pie dish. Unfold. Crimp edges.

Repeat for top crust. After filling is fully rested, place in prepared dish. Add top crust. Flute edges.

Use scissors to snip top crust. Snip ample vent holes from center to edge all around.

If desired, brush with soy milk. Dust with brown sugar.

Pre-heat oven to 450º Farenheit. Bake 10 minutes. Do not open oven. Lower heat to 350º. Bake 35 to 45 minutes. In 35 minutes, if crust is golden, remove. Or, bake 5 minutes. Check. Repeat if needed. But remove pie after second extra 5 minutes. Cool.

 

The story behind this recipe
No one knows the secret to the flaky, fool-proof crust.

“It's the vinegar,” my Mom would say.

“No,” Auntie Munya chimed, “It's the egg.”

“Vinegar.”

“Egg.”

The two sisters never settled the question in their lifetimes. But it does not matter. The proof is in the crust: flaky. Perfect pie every time. Does it really matter whether the vinegar or the egg creates pie crust nirvana? Not in my mind. I make the crust each Thanksgiving Day in memory of both sweet ladies. It is tradition. Deep. Important. Sacred.

There is no Thanksgiving in America without apple pie. At least, not in our house. When I was growing up in New England, apples were the harbinger of fall. While we often experiment with such novelties as black rice and cranberry stuffed acorn squash, our traditional Thanksgiving Day feast must include roast turkey, cranberry sauce and pies. In my childhood home, we had three pies: apple, pumpkin and custard.

Apple is my favorite. The filling is important, but not as crucial as the crust. One cannot have a good pie without a flaky crust. My Mom taught me how to make pie crust by hand, and then with a food processor to make fast work of the secret crust. On Thanksgiving Day, I reverently open the hand-written book I keep to preserve the holiday tradition and make a spectacular apple pie.

I developed the specific apple filling over the years, but I have kept the spirit of my Mom's original apple pie recipe alive. Apple Pie a la Pixie brings together two worlds: my Mom's flaky pie crust and my own adaptation of apple pie filling. My blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, pure vanilla extract, brown sugar and lemon juice – along with tapioca to help render a clear, thick syrup – brings to the table a pie worthy of Thanksgiving Day.

So, is it vinegar? Egg? Maybe it is both. To me, it is tradition. Sacred tradition.