I have been on an apple pie baking binge these last few weeks. Not necessarily because I wanted to make 6 apple pies in 12 days, but because I got backed into a corner.
Several weeks ago I was asked to give a Zoom cooking demo for a political pact. I readily agreed to do it, because it was a political party I firmly believed in. But when they asked me to make an apple pie in a 30 minute demo, I was not thrilled. First, it meant I had to come up with an apple pie recipe I liked, because I hadn’t made one in ages. Then I had to practice it to see how I could do it in 30 minutes.
I took a fairly standard recipe beginning by making my favorite pie crust, slicing apples, mixing them with sugar and cinnamon, topping them with streusel and baking it . I was told the demo went well, (even though the gal in charge, who was supposed to be a great cook and had asked me to demo a pie, asked what she could substitute for a rolling pin. Before I could respond she told me she was using a wine bottle.)
A week later I had to come up with something to bake for a virtual demo for a group called Bakers Dozen. Bakers Dozen is a Northern CA group of people who like to bake , they don’t need to be pros, but many of them are. I volunteered to make an apple pie. But when it came down to it, I knew I could improve on the one I had just done. So I began experimenting.
First I added vodka to my crust. Great improvement. Alcohol doesn’t increase the gluten or protein in the flour, so it helps pastry remain supple and soft. Then I pre-cooked the apples before adding them to the pie. This makes all the difference in the world. Pre-cooking the apples on the stove before baking them turned a good pie into a great. one. But I wanted to add another element of excitement, so I poured a buttermilk custard over the apples. The custard hit the jack-pot.
If you are going to go to the trouble of peeling and slicing apples (BTW I use a wonderful gadget called a peeler-slicer-corer which you can find if you click on Marlene’s Favorites on this blog) and making a crust, you might as well add a few extra steps by cooking the apples ahead and adding a custard. I am so happy with this pie and it received so much praise that I think I finally hit the apple pie jack-pot.
I apologize for not including how-to photos with this recipe. Several people liked the pie so much they want to publish the recipe, so I am in a time crunch to get this published and out. But I do promise to add how-to photos the next time I make this pie. I think, however, that won’t be too soon. For now I need to take a break from making apple pies.
APPLE CUSTARD STREUSEL PIE
Crust
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 lb. + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons vodka mixed with 2 tablespoons ice water
Filling
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 pounds (about 5) Granny Smith apples
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cups buttermilk (whatever fat you can find)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons tapioca flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Streusel
4 tablespoons butter,
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1. To make the crust: In a food processor pulse the flour, salt and sugar. Add butter and pulse just long enough for the cubes to become incorporated into the flour and broken up into roughly 3/4-inch pieces. Add 3 tablespoons of the vodka/ice water mixture and pulse until the dough just begins to hold together. If necessary, add additional liquid a little at a time until dough holds together.
2. Gather the dough into a ball and flatten into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (Dough may be refrigerated for several days or frozen.)
3. To roll out dough: Lightly spray a 9-1/2-inch pie plate with vegetable coating, especially the rim. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 14-inch circle. Gently roll pastry around the rolling pin and unroll onto pie dish. Press it snugly into the dish with your fingers. Trim the edges to about 1/2-inch. Fold the edges under and crimp together. Refrigerate or freeze while preparing filling.
4. Preheat the oven: Place a dark (or heavy aluminum) baking sheet on a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
5. To prepare the apples: Peel, core and thinly slice the apples. In a large skillet, melt the butter over moderate heat. Add apples, sugar and cinnamon and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are almost tender. Cool until lukewarm.
6. To make buttermilk custard: In a medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, tapioca flour, salt and vanilla.
7. To prepare streusel: Melt the butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Stir in the flour, sugar and cinnamon. Use your fingers to blend together until crumbly.
8. To assemble pie: Arrange apples in the crust. Pour buttermilk custard evenly over the apples and sprinkle streusel over all.
9. To bake: Place the pie on the preheated baking sheet. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until the streusel is browned. Cool at least one hour before serving.
To make ahead: Pie is best the day it is made, because the streusel is crisp. It can be refrigerated or held at room temperature overnight, but the streusel will be soft. Otherwise still delicious. Serve warm.
Makes 1 pie; Serves 8 to 10
