The Best Homemade Apple Pie

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Apple pie is my husband's favorite dessert. I make at least one pie every Thanksgiving. For years, I was trying to find the perfect combination of best apples to use to achieve that perfect sweet pie filling paired with a flaky crust. I think I've nailed it with this one!

The key to a good apple pie is the combination of sweet apples and tart apples. In this recipe, the macintosh apples are the sweet and the Granny Smith apples are the very tart apples.

You only need a few simple ingredients that you can find in your local grocery store.

• Apples. A combination of Mcintosh apples and Granny Smith apples.
• Sugar. Both brown sugar and white sugar.
• Spices. I like to use both cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.
• All Purpose Flour. This will help make sure the filling does not get too watery and give the bottom crust a soggy bottom.
• Lemon juice. To keep the colors of the apples and make sure they do not brown.

Mcintosh apples are very common apples to find in the grocery store. Fun fact, they are the official apple of Canada! They provide a good sweetness in this pie, plus they hold their shape. Instead of Mcintosh apples, you can use Gala apples or Fuji apples.

Granny Smith apples have a very tart flavor. You would not want to take a bite into a plain, old Granny Smith apple. The tartness of the apple ensures that this pie is not overly sweet.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Roll out your pie dough on a lightly floured surface and place the pie dough into a glass pie plate. Line the unbaked pie dough with parchment paper and fill it with pie weights. Bake the dough for 10 minutes.

While the pie dough bakes, peel the raw apples. Cut the apples into thin apple slices. Place the apples in a large bowl.

Add the ½ cup sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, teaspoon cinnamon, teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, lemon juice, and flour to the large mixing bowl with the fresh apples.

Take the pie dough out of the oven and remove the parchment paper and baking weights. Pour the apple mixture into the bottom crust.

Roll out the top crust and place it on top of the pie. Make three steam vents in the top pie crust. Do that by making three slices into the top of the pie.

Beat an egg with the egg yolk and brush the egg wash onto the pie. Bake for 25 minutes. Turn the pie and cook for another 20 minutes.

Remove the pie dish from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack before serving.

• Discard any excess apple juice that is on the bottom of the bowl before adding the apple mixture to the pie dough.
• The pie is done when the edges of the crust and the top of the pie are golden brown.
• If you think that the pie is overfilled, or your pie dish is a little small for the amount of filling, place the pie dish on a rimmed baking sheet. This will catch any excess juice that may come out of the pie during baking.
• If you would like to make a lattice crust on your pie, here is a great step by step tutorial to making one!
• Extra dough can be used to decorate the top of the pie. Grab your Fall themed cookie cutters and make some leaves, turkeys, or pumpkins and add the pieces of dough to the top of the pie.

Some people do precook the apples, I don't think it is necessary. Before you pour the apples into the dough, discard the excess liquid. That will ensure the apple pie isn't too soggy. You'll get perfectly al dente apples by letting them cook right in the pie.

Another way to make sure the bottom crust is not soggy is to prebake the crust. When you prebake the crust, the crust starts to cook before the filling is added.

I like to use a sourdough pie crust because it gives me a buttery crust that makes the perfect apple pie! You can use your favorite premade pie crust or you can make your own pie dough!

All you need is a food processor or pastry cutter, cold water, butter and flour. Add all the ingredients to a food processor and process until it is like wet sand. Place the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Then you can use it as you would like for your favorite pies!

• Allow the pie to cool to room temperature before you cut into it with a sharp knife. Otherwise the pie might fall apart.
• This classic apple pie recipe is perfect with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream!
• Sprinkle the hot pie with powdered sugar to give the crust a little but more sweetness!

If you have leftover apple pie, place slices in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can either reheat the apple pie to serve it warm or it's delicious room temperature too!

Yes! You can bake the pie completely and then cover the entire pie with tin foil or aluminum foil. Keep it right on your kitchen counter until you are ready to serve this great apple pie!

You don't! If you prefer, you can use canned apple pie from the grocery store or you can use homemade canned apple pie. A lot of people jar apples to later use in apple pie. That's a great option if you have it!

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