Braeburn Apple Pie

 
The Art.

    One of the perks of living in New York is that the apple picking is phenomenal. The first time we went to a Hudson Valley orchard I was astounded by the variety of apples. This is thanks to the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station at Cornell, where they have developed countless strains of fruits. I had the choice of picking hybrid pommes I had never heard of like Macoun and Mutsu. My family has always maintained that Granny Smiths the only apple suited for apple pies, but I found some beautiful Braeburns that were just tart enough. In my opinion, pies should be baked with apples with firm texture (not mealy like Delicious varieties) and with a tart flavor. For this pie, I use only half of the sugar and cinnamon that most recipes use, and add in some ground cardamom so that it has a bright, true apple flavor. The combination of cardamom and the fresh-picked apples gives this pie a light, aromatic taste.

The Science.

    While the perfect filling is important, we all know it's the crust that makes or breaks a pie. I always use my aunt's pie crust because it is the best I've ever had and it never fails. The secret is two ingredients: enough shortening to give an elephant cardiac arrest, and vinegar. Many pie crust recipes use butter, but I think it makes the crust too heavy and oily with all the saturated milkfat. Shortening, on the other hand, is made up of hydgrogenated vegetable fats that easily incorporate into the flour.

    The reason pie crust is flaky is because the shortening is worked into the flour, creating small beads of fat that are coated with flour. As the fat melts into the flour in the heat of the oven, it leaves behind small air pockets and creates "flakes." How tender these flakes are depends on how developed the gluten in the flour is. This is where the vinegar comes in. By making the crust acidic, the vinegar prevents the gluten protein from aggregating, or binding itself tightly. Less gluten aggregation means a more tender, flaky, delicious crust.

The Recipe.

Pie crust:

4 cups flour

1 3/4 cups shortening

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 egg
2/3 cup water (as needed)

Combine flour, shortening, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Work the shortening into the flour with fingertips or a pastry cutter until crumbly. Fold in egg and vinegar, and just enough water until dough has a soft, elastic consistency. Refrigerate for one hour.

Apple filling:

6 cups fresh Braeburn apples (about 4 apples), peeled and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons tapioca

2 tablespoons water

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cardamom

2 tablespoons salted butter, melted

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and let stand for at least 15 minutes. 

Assembly:

    Preheat oven to 350°F and place rack in center position. Press 1/3 of the dough into the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan. Pour filling into pan. Roll out the remaining dough into an 1/8th-inch thick round between two pieces of waxed paper (this way you don't have to flour surfaces). You can cover the pie with this round, or you can cut it into strips for a lattice crust. For instructions on how make a lattice I refer you to a thorough post from thekitchn. Keep in mind that you will need to cut some vents in the top for steam to escape if you don't do a lattice. Trim excess dough off the sides and crimp the edges with a fork. (Side note: leftover crust also makes amazing savory empanadas!)

    For an extra touch, you can lightly brush the crust with beaten egg and sprinkle raw sugar on top. This will give you a beautiful shiny, golden sparkly pie. Bake for 45 minutes to one hour. If you notice the edges getting brown too quickly, you can cover them with foil and leave the center exposed to brown up some more.

    Cool pie on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before serving. Pie is best served fresh and warm, but can be stored covered at room temperature for two days and moved to the refrigerator thereafter. To reheat, I like to bake individual slices in the toaster oven at 350°F for 2-5 minutes, as microwaving can make the crust soggy.