Make-Ahead Apple Pie

It all started with a bag of apple “seconds,” a willing assistant, and a photo op.  Eamonn was helping me break in our new apple peeler/corer/slicer, and I (of course) had the camera out for the occasion.  “Let’s make a video,” said he, and before long we found ourselves embarking on a multi-part Flufy Makes an Apple Pie series for Eamonn’s website.

Yesterday we finished that pie (and the video series) and today we’d like to share both the recipe and the three episodes with you. We like to think this process will come in handy as Christmas approaches.  I get kind of stressed-out the few days before the holiday, and it would really be nice not to have to think too hard about pie-making then.  It’ll be nice to do most of the steps now, while I’m still sane.  We hope you find this helpful, too.

Happy Day After Thanksgiving from me and Flufy!

Making the Filling

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 1/4 pounds assorted apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients except for apples and butter until well-mixed.  Add apples and toss to coat.
2. Line a pie plate with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and transfer apple mixture into the plate.  Dot with butter.
3. Freeze filling until firm, remove (with the foil or plastic wrap) from pie plate, cover and store in freezer until ready to use, up to one month.

Making the Crust

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 8 ounces (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup cold water

Directions

1. Pulse flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor until combined.  Add butter, and pusle until mixture resembles course crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 10 seconds.
2. Evenly drizzle water over mixture.  Pulse until mixture just begins to hold together.
3. Divide dough in half.  Place each half on a piece of plastic wrap and wrap.  Press dough into disks using a rolling pin.
4. Place wrapped dough in the freezer until ready to use, up to one month.

Baking the Pie

Directions

1. Defrost pie crust dough overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Roll first disk out to 1/8-inch thickness on a floured surface.
3. Fit dough into a 9-inch pie dish.
4. Remove pie filling from the freezer, unwrap it, and place it into the pie plate on top of the crust.
5. Roll out the second disk of dough similar to the first, and place it on top of the pie filling.
6. Press the two crusts together at the edges, trim the crust flush with the pie plate, and roll the cuttings into snakes that can be placed decoratively around the edge of the pie.
7. Cut a hole in the center of the top crust, and 4-8 vent slits.
8. Put the pie in the refrigerator or freezer, and preheat oven to 400 degrees.
9. Bake the pie on a cookie sheet  for 30 minutes, reduce temperature to 350, bake for another hour or until pie is bubbling in the center and crust is golden brown, rotating the sheet once during baking.
10. Cool on a wire rack.

Notes

• Pie will keep for one day at room temperature (so invite some friends over and eat it right away!)
• We adapted our recipe from this one by Martha Stewart.
• Flufy had trouble wrapping up this series, and so there are some cute outtakes at the end of the last video.