Classic Apple Pie

Apple Pie has had a long tradition in the United States. Apples seeds were brought over from Europe and many of the colonists developed new verities as hobbies and profit. Because America is so large and has a diverse climate in many regions it was important to develop an apple that could thrive in each location. Also, apples were developed especially for eating, baking, storage, drying, etc.

At Ruby Edwards’ TARTINE Bakery, we use the finest and freshest ‘Grown In Korea’ apples. These apples have been developed to thrive in Korea’s cold harsh winters and develop during the hot humid summers. We use fresh apples, never canned or de-hydrated in our apple pies. Our apple pie would be at home on the broad Kansas plains or any diner in New York City.

A good pie crust is as important as good quality pie apples. Look for TARTINE Bakery’s fabulous flaky pie crust recipe.

FILLING:

1/3 to 2/3 cup brown sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour or 3Tablespoons each of flour and corn starch
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of salt
8 medium sized apples (a medium apple = about 1 cup)
2 Tablespoons butter

1. Heat oven to 425F or 195C degrees.

2. Peel, core and slice the apples. Try to keep the size of the slices even.

3. Mix sugar, flour or [flour / corn starch], nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt in large bowl.

4. Stir in apples. See Chef’s note below.

5. Pour into pastry-lined pie plate.

6. Dot with butter.

7. Cover with top crust and seal the edges. Cut slits in the top.

8. OPTIONAL: Cover edge with 3-inch strip of aluminum foil to prevent too much browning.

9. Remove foil during last 15 minutes of baking.

10. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust.

Chef Garrett’s Note: I like to pre-bake my apples a bit; it makes them more tender and not under cooked. You should use a firm apple for pies, like green or the mottled red in Korea, if the apple is a soft variety, the filling will resemble apple sauce.

To pre-bake apples: Follow the above directions except, before mixing the dry ingredients with the apples, put the apples in a glass bowl and place in the microwave, cook until slightly softened. Mix in dry ingredients and continue with recipe.

For more information about apples go here:

http://gardenersnet.com/fruit/apples/history.htm

For information about American apples, go here:

http://www.vermontapples.org/history.html