Description
Barefoot Contessa’s deep-dish apple pie brings classic American comfort straight from Ina Garten’s kitchen. Buttery, flaky crust cradles perfectly spiced apples that melt in your mouth, promising a slice of pure dessert happiness you’ll savor to the last crumb.
Ingredients
Scale
Fresh Fruit:
- 1.8 kg (4 pounds) Granny Smith apples, peeled, quartered, and cored
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Zest of 1 orange
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
Dry Ingredients:
- 100 g (½ cup) sugar, plus 1 teaspoon for sprinkling
- 30 g (¼ cup) plain flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- 375 g (3 cups) plain flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Fat Ingredients:
- 170 g (1½ sticks) very cold unsalted butter
- 75 g (⅓ cup) very cold vegetable shortening
- 6–8 tablespoons (about 120 ml / 4 fluid ounces) ice water
- 1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Warm the kitchen oven to 200°C (180°C fan) | 400°F, ensuring proper temperature calibration for optimal pie baking.
- Transform apples into bite-sized morsels by slicing each quarter into three delicate pieces, then generously coat with citrus zests, fresh fruit juices, granulated sugar, flour, salt, aromatic cinnamon, fragrant nutmeg, and warming allspice.
- Carefully unfurl the first layer of pie pastry, gently draping it across the pie dish with a slight 1.5cm (½ inch) overhang, repositioning and re-rolling if necessary to achieve perfect coverage.
- Lovingly transfer the seasoned apple mixture into the prepared crust, distributing the fragrant filling evenly across the pastry landscape.
- Delicately paint the bottom crust’s perimeter with egg wash, then tenderly position the second pastry layer. Trim the edges to approximately 2.5cm (1 inch) beyond the dish rim, artfully tucking the top crust beneath the bottom and creating an elegant crimped border using fingertips or a fork.
- Enhance the pie’s visual appeal by brushing the surface with egg wash, sprinkling a teaspoon of crystalline sugar, and creating 4-5 strategic steam-releasing incisions.
- Carefully transfer the pie onto a sturdy baking tray, allowing it to transform in the heated oven for 1-1¼ hours until it achieves a golden-brown complexion with effervescent, bubbling edges.
- Allow the pie to rest momentarily, letting its flavors settle before serving while still pleasantly warm.
Notes
- Crisp apple selection matters most for maintaining texture and preventing a watery filling during baking.
- Chilling pastry ingredients ensures a delicately flaky crust that melts in your mouth with buttery goodness.
- Protective egg wash creates a magical barrier against soggy bottoms, keeping your pie’s foundation perfectly crisp.
- Uniform apple slicing guarantees consistent cooking, so every bite delivers the same delightful soft-yet-firm experience.
- Strategically positioning the pie on a baking sheet catches unexpected juice eruptions, saving your clean oven from sticky messes.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 35g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Carbohydrates: 65g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 50mg