Granny Smith Apple Pie: The Perfect Blend of Tart and Sweet in Every Bite

Granny Smith Apple Pie: The Perfect Blend of Tart and Sweet in Every Bite

Ingredients You’ll Need:

For the Crust:

• 2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 tablespoon Granulated Sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, cold and cut into cubes
• 1/4 cup Ice Water – more if needed
• 1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar optional-but it helps make the crust a little more flaky.

For the Filling:

• 6-8 Granny Smith Apples about 4 cups, peeled, cored, and sliced
• 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/4 cup Brown Sugar light or dark-whichever suits your taste
• 2 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour to thicken
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Lemon Zest – this is optional, for an added lemon taste
• 1 tablespoon Butter – cut in small pieces to dot the filling
• 1 tablespoon Milk or Heavy Cream to brush on crust before baking
• 1 tablespoon Turbinado Sugar – to sprinkle on top, if desired

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Step-by-Step Instructions:

Prepare the Pie Crust:

The crust is the first step in any good pie, and for a Granny Smith apple pie, you want that crust to be flaky, buttery, sturdy enough to hold all that delicious filling. Here’s how you do it:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and granulated sugar.
2. Add in the cold butter cubes into the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter.
3. Gradually add the ice water and apple cider vinegar (if using), beginning with about 1/4 cup. Use a fork to gently stir the dough together. If the dough appears too dry, add a little more ice water.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it a few times to bring it together. Don’t overwork the dough or the crust will be tough.
5. Divide the dough in half, shape into a disk, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. This is called resting the dough, and it gives the gluten a chance to relax, which will reduce the possibility of shrinkage during baking.

2. Prepare the Apple Filling:

While your dough is chilling, you can start preparing the filling. Granny Smith apples are perfect for this pie because they are tart, firm, and hold their shapes beautifully when baking.

1. Peel, core, and slice the Granny Smith apples into thin slices, about 1/4 inch thick. You can use an apple corer and slicer to make this step go a little faster and easier.
2. In a large bowl, combine the sliced apples, granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and lemon zest (if using). Toss everything to coat the apples evenly. The flour thickens the filling as it bakes in the pie, while lemon juice adds a nice acidity, balancing sweetness from sugars.
3. Set the filling aside to meld and allow the juices to start coming out from the apples.

3. Rolling Pie Dough:

Roll out your pie dough now. Take one of the chilled dough discs from the refrigerator and begin rolling it out on a floured surface.

1. Roll the dough out to about a 12-inch circle so that you have enough dough to fit inside your pie dish. Just remember to roll the dough in a different direction each few rolls so it doesn’t stick and isn’t developed unevenly.
2. Place dough in a 9-inch pie plate. If needed, you can use the rolling pin to lift the dough into the pie plate. With your fingers or a rolling pin, ensure that dough fits snug against the sides.
3. Trim any extra dough hanging over edges to about 1 inch overhang.

4. Fill the Pie:

Now that your crust is resting, it’s time to fill it up with that perfectly spiced Granny Smith apple mixture.

Pour the prepared apple filling into the pie crust, piling it a little in the center. This will help the filling cook evenly instead of shrinking too far down while baking.

2. Dot the top of the filling with small pieces of butter. It will melt during baking to create that great richness and flavor for your pie filling.

Add the Top Crust:

Now you need to take the second disc of dough to make your top crust.

Place the second disc of dough out as with the first, and set it over the apple filling. You may set it as one solid sheet of dough, or cut it into strips to create a lattice top, whichever you prefer.

2. Top with a full crust: If you’re using a top crust, make a few slashes in the top with a sharp knife to allow steam to escape while baking. Lattice crust: This is made by placing strips of dough in a crisscross pattern on top by weaving them over and under each other.
3. Crimp the edges of the top and bottom crusts together using your fingers or a fork to seal the pie.
4. Brush the top crust with milk or heavy cream to help it brown, and sprinkle with turbinado sugar for a bit of extra sweetness and crunch, if desired.

6. Bake the Pie:

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and place the pie on the middle rack.

1. Bake the pie for about 45-50 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. During baking, you may have to cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil if they get too dark. The pie will be done when the filling is visibly bubbling through the slits or lattice and the crust reaches a deep golden brown color.
2. Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool for at least 2 hours before serving. This resting period helps set the filling inside the pie and allows you to cut and serve the pie more effectively.