Pi Day Apple Pie

Perhaps it's not the most widely celebrated of international holidays, but it's Pi Day!  And on 3/14 in our house, we gotta bake a pie.  Below are my recipes for (1) an all-butter pie crust and (2) a dreamy apple pie filling.  

Note:  Give yourself some lead time for this pie to come together, as the chilling process takes 2 hours and the baking process takes another hour.

Yield:  one apple pie

Crust Recipe (Brands Tested):

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (Harina Buena y Barata Harina de trigo fortificada para todo uso Especial Para Panadería y Pastelería)
• 2 tsp. granulated sugar (Supermaxi brand)
• 1 tsp. table salt (Cris-Sal Sal de Mesa)
• 1 cup (230 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed (Vita Mantequilla Sin Sal)
• 1/2 cup vodka, straight from the freezer (Poliakov) (you can also use ice water, but I find vodka produces a flakier crust) 

Add flour, sugar, and salt to a large mixing bowl.  Add cubed butter and cut into the floury mix with a pastry cutter.  The goal is to get down to pea-sized bits of flour-coated butter, at the largest.

Add the 1/2 cup of frosty vodka (or ice water) to the floury mix and bring the dough together with a spoon.  

Place the dough on a floured work surface and knead lightly with your hands until the flour is incorporated into the fat.  Form the dough into a ball.

Split the ball of dough into two halves, flatten into discs, and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate the discs for at least 2 hours.

As your dough nears the end of its chill cycle, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).  

Apple Pie Filling Recipe (Brands Tested):

• 3 apples, peeled, cored and sliced thinly (I like Granny Smith, but really, it's hard to go terribly wrong)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (San Carlos Azúcar Morena)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (Supermaxi brand)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (La Lechera Crema de Leche UHT)
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract (La Reposteria Saborizante Sabor a Vainilla)
• 1/8 tsp. cinnamon (McCormick Canela)

Combine apple slices, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cream, and cinnamon in a bowl and stir gently to ensure apple slices are nicely coated.

Remove refrigerated pie discs, roll one out, and press it gently into a standard pie dish to form the base of the pie.

Arrange the coated apples in layers in the pie crust and pour any remaining filling over the top.

I like to do a rough lattice top, but you can also simply unroll the other refrigerated pie disc over the top of the apple filling.  If doing the latter, I suggest cutting a few holes in the pie top to ensure that the steam escapes.

[Below are a few photos of my rough lattice work.   I would attempt to describe how I did it, but I'll do an abysmal job.  Strongly recommend visiting YouTube for tutorials if you have never attempted a lattice before.  It's easy to do roughly, a little more challenging to do beautifully, and completely impossible to describe if you're as spatially challenged as I am.]

Use a pie shield (or aluminum foil edging) to protect the edge of the pie for the start of baking.

Bake the pie for one hour, removing the pie shield or foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.  [It may help to place a baking sheet on a lower oven rack just in case any of the filling bubbles over.]

The pie should be bubbly and golden brown once you remove it from the oven.

This pie is best within hours after baking, but can also be revived easily for 2-3 days after a brief visit in the microwave.  Consider serving with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for maximum enjoyment!