Apple Pie - the Italian Version

Last week one of my neighbours invited the kids and I around for some apple pie. While my girls played with her daughter we enjoyed our cappuccino's with this delicious apple pie. I knew right away that I had to bake this and do it soon.

Lucky me, the opportunity presented itself yesterday when Heidi received her B diploma for swimming. Of course I already bought the apples last week at the weekly market in town... just in case you see.

We enjoyed a late afternoon celebratory slice of pie (although it is a bit like cake) and everyone was very happy indeed.

My neighbour found the recipe on smulweb.nl (in Dutch), here is a copy of it in English:

Ingredients:
150 gram butter
150 gram sugar
4 eggs
500 gram apples
150 gram self raising flour
the zest and juice of 1 lemon
dash of salt

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Peel and core the apples, then cut into thin slices and cover with the lemon juice.
Melt the butter and let it cool slightly.
Place the sugar, salt, lemon zest and 4 eggs in a bowl and beat well, until mixed and frothy (for lack of a better word!).
Mix the butter into the apples and then add the flour and mix together.
Now add the sugar mixture to the apple mixture and mix well.

Grease and line a spring tin of about 28 ø cm and pour the batter into it.

Bake the apple pie for about 40 -50 minutes until cooked.
Switch off the oven and let it rest for another 5 minutes inside the oven.

Remove from the oven and cover with a sprinkling of icing sugar (which I chose not to do!).

Old Fashioned Apple Pie

We had a lot of fun making apple pie last week. I had more than my fair share of the pie... but it was just so good. So very, very, very good. And the best part was that I didn't even have to bake it myself!

My dear husband was in a baking mood and my lovely neighbour gave me a big bag full of baking apples. A match made in heaven. My husband is not that fond of the classic Dutch apple pie so he found an American recipe that sounded good.

Of course it was a team effort. Picture this. My husband doing all the hard work and me reading the Martha Stewart recipe on my iPad and taking photos. Seems like the perfect division of labour to me! There was a little catch though... we started making the dough very avidly and then realised that there was a lot of resting time required. Like that apple pie was not hitting the oven for at least one and a half hours. Oh well, that just meant that we'd have it for dessert.

Not!! Once we finally had the apple pie in the oven I watched a video on how to make apple pie (yes, should have paid more attention up front) where it was revealed that apple pie should rest for about 6 hours or more before slicing into it.

What?!
Seriously?
Seriously.

Apparently the juices need to settle (blah, blah, blah). But for once I decided that I can be patient. And I was rewarded. That apple pie was wonderful when we sliced into it the next morning. My neighbour came around with her daughter and we had us a little apple pie party. Happiness.

Here are a few more photos of the best (and only) apple pie we've ever made:

Here is a link to the Martha Stewart recipe and here is a copy with my notes:

INGREDIENTS

Apple Pie:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
(Pie Dough) Pate Brisee
12 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced (I used baking apples since that's what I had!)
3/4 cup sugar, plus additional for pie top
Zest and juice of 1 lemon (I might use slightly less lemon juice next time to accommodate my kids)
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch ground cloves (I left this out since we don't like cloves in my house)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large egg, beaten

Pate Brisee:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut in pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water


DIRECTIONS
Pate Brisee:
(Note: watch the video - it gives a great view on how to work this dough)
STEP 1
Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor, and process for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. With the machine running, add the ice water in a slow, steady stream, through the feed tube, just until the dough holds together. Do not process for more than 30 seconds.
STEP 2
Turn the dough out onto a work surface. Divide in two. Place each half on a sheet of plastic wrap. Flatten, and form two discs. Wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour before using.

DIRECTIONS
Apple Pie:

STEP 1
Heat oven to 190 degrees Celsius. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pate brisee into two 1/8-inch-thick circles to a diameter slightly larger than that of an 11-inch plate. (I am clueless with inches so I just kind of guessed here...) Press one pastry circle into the pie plate. Place the other circle on waxed paper, and cover with plastic wrap. Chill all pastry until firm, about 30 minutes.
STEP 2
In a large bowl, combine apples, sugar, lemon zest and juice, spices, and flour. Toss well. Spoon apples into pie pan. Dot with butter, and cover with remaining pastry circle. Cut several steam vents across top. Seal by crimping edges as desired. Brush with beaten egg, and sprinkle with additional sugar.
STEP 3
Bake until crust is brown and juices are bubbling, about 1 hour. Let cool on wire rack before serving.