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Apple Pie with Butter Crust

Ingredients
  

2 crusts

  • 20 Tablespoons butter Plugra is recommended for flakiest crust
  • 3 c. flour
  • 2 T. sugar
  • 1 ½ tsp. salt
  • ½ c. ice water plus a few extra tablespoons in case needed

Egg wash

  • 1 egg mixed with 2 tsp. water
  • Sanding sugar

Filling

  • 5 pounds apples I used Gala, Honeycrisp & Granny Smith
  • ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
  • juice from half a lemon 2 tablespoons
  • ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 5 T. flour
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions
 

  • Cut 10 T. butter into tiny cubes and 10 T. into slices or pats of butter. Chill both in separate bowls.
  • Add flour, sugar, salt to a bowl and combine with hands.
  • Add in the diced butter cubes and press them into the flour to create coarse crumbs with your hands.
  • Once combined, add the larger "pats" of butter and flatten with fingers to coat them with flour. These pieces will stay large to create flaky layers.
  • Slowly add water and mix with hands until dough starts to come together. Once it holds together, dump onto work surface and use hands to mold it into a circle. Wrap in plastic and chill 1-2 hours.
  • Unwrap dough on a floured surface and dust top with flour. Cut dough in half and stack on top of each other. Cut in half again and stack so you have 4 layers stacked. Use a french rolling pin to slightly bang on the dough. Use hands to mold back into a circle. Roll out to 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut in half and make each one a circle.
  • Chill each crust 1-2 hours.

Filling

  • Add zest to a large deep pot along with the lemon juice.
  • Peel and slice one apple at a time (1/8 inch slices) and add the slices to the lemon juice in pot, stirring occasionally.
  • Once all apples are in, put heat on medium.
  • Add sugars, flour, salt and cinnamon,
  • Stir very carefully so you don't break apples up.
  • Once moistened, cover the pot. You will cook it 20 mins approx and stir it every 3 minutes. It is done when the apples are the right level of "done" you want in your pie! So be sure to taste one or two.
  • Off heat, stir in vanilla.
  • Lay apples on a sheet pan to completely cool.
  • Roll out your first dough and lay in 9 inch pie pan.
  • Add cooled filling.
  • Roll out and Use second crust to cut 10 strips and make a lattice.
  • Brush egg wash only on the center-not the edges.
  • Sprinkle on sanding sugar.
  • Bake at 375 for 45 minutes. (Preheat oven w baking sheet in it and bake pie on pan-use convection setting if you have one.)
  • Cool a few hours before slicing.