Apple Pie Circus Style Recipes

APPLE PIE, CIRCUS-STYLE

Steps:

• Make the dough: Put the bread flour, whole-wheat flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor, and whir to combine. Drop in the chunks of butter, then process in 8 to 10 long pulses, scraping the bowl often, until the ingredients look like coarse crumbs and hold together when pressed.
• Stir together the ice water and vinegar in a measuring cup, then pour the liquid over the dough as you pulse the machine, forming a moist dough. Scrape the dough onto a work surface, shape into a log and divide into thirds. Press each piece into a disk, wrap tightly and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, working between sheets of parchment, roll each piece of dough into an 8-inch circle that's a scant 1/4-inch thick. Cut each piece into a 7-inch circle, cover with the parchment and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. (Leftover dough can be used to make a smaller pie or to make cookies.)
• Make the filling: Stir the sugar, flour and zest together in a large bowl, then stir in the butter and lemon juice. Quarter and core the apples, leaving the peel on, and slice them very thinly; a food processor or mandoline works best here. (You want about 5 loosely packed cups.) Add apples to the large bowl, and use your hands to toss until they're coated with the sugar mixture.
• Assemble the pies: Working with 1 circle of dough at a time, peel away the top sheet of paper, and lightly score a 4-inch circle in the center of the dough. Pile apples inside the circle, pressing to make a compact mound about 1 1/2 inches high and leaving a bare border of about 1 1/2 inches.
• The final pie should have five sides, and all the corners should point in the same direction. For this effect, lift a piece of the dough up, and hold it against the apples. Lift a piece of dough next to it, press it against the apples and grab the triangle of dough that forms where the two layers meet. Holding the point of the triangle, pull it down so that the tip of the triangle is at the base of the pie. With your index finger, firmly press the point of the triangle into the base to seal it in place. Continue until you've got a pentagonal pie.
• Repeat with the remaining circles of dough and apples. (You may have some apples leftover.) Refrigerate the pies while you heat the oven. (You can cover and refrigerate the pies for up to 1 day.)
• Center a rack in the oven, and heat it to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and transfer the pies to the sheet.
• Stir a splash of water into the egg, and brush a little on the sides of the pies, avoiding the top rim of the pie dough. Sprinkle the sides with Demerara sugar.
• Bake the pies until the crust is beautifully golden and a knife inserted into the apples meets little resistance, about 45 minutes. Transfer the sheet to a rack, and allow the pies to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.

APPLE CRUMBLE PIE

Steps:

• For the Filling: In a large heatproof bowl, toss together apples, granulated sugar (use 1 cup if your apples are very tart), salt, vinegar, and spices. Let stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally, for at least 3 hours, or refrigerate (covered) up to 24 hours.
• Stir flour into macerated apple mixture, then set a colander over another bowl and drain, reserving liquid. Transfer liquid to a small saucepan; return apples to bowl. Bring liquid to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened to the consistency of loose pudding, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir back into apple mixture.
• For the Crust: Preheat oven to 400°F, with a rack in bottom third. On a lightly floured surface, roll out disk of dough 1/8 inch thick (about 13 inches in diameter). Fit it into a 9-inch pie dish. Trim overhang to 1 inch, fold edges under, and crimp as desired. Brush edges of crust with egg and fill with apple mixture; refrigerate for 15 minutes (to help crust hold its shape in the oven).
• For the Topping: In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add flour and oats and beat to combine.
• Crumble topping over filling and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F and bake until golden brown all over and bubbling in center, 50 to 60 minutes more. (If the top browns too quickly, tent it with foil.) Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely, at least 6 hours.

CLASSIC APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large skillet set over medium-high heat and add apples to the pan. Stir to coat with butter and cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter is evenly distributed, about 1 minute.
• In a small bowl, whisk together sugars, spices and salt. Sprinkle over the apples and toss to combine.
• Lower heat to medium and cook until apples have softened completely but still hold their shape, about 17 to 25 minutes. (Some varieties cook more quickly than others.)
• Sprinkle cornstarch evenly over the apples and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the apple mixture comes to a simmer and thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat, and stir in lemon juice and zest. Allow apples to cool completely (spreading them onto a rimmed baking sheet speeds this up). Apples can be prepared up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerated.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll half of the pie dough into a 12-inch circle. Transfer dough to a 9- or 10-inch metal pie plate, trimming it to leave a 1/2-inch overhang. Place crust in the freezer for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
• When ready to bake, place a rimmed baking sheet on the middle oven rack and heat oven to 425 degrees.
• Roll out the remaining dough on a lightly floured surface to a 10- to 11-inch circle. Remove pie crust from freezer and add the cooled filling in an even layer. Cover apples with remaining dough. Press the edges together, trim the excess dough, and crimp the edges with your fingers or a press down with the tines of a fork. (Using a fork might be easier if the bottom crust is too cold to crimp.) Brush the top of the pie with cream, milk, or some beaten egg, then sprinkle lightly with sugar if you like. Using a sharp knife, cut some steam vents in the top of the crust.
• Place pie on the hot sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake for another 30 to 40 minutes, until the filling bubbles in the steam vents, and the crust is golden brown. Transfer pie to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool for at least 2 hours before serving. The pie can be baked up to 24 hours ahead of serving; do not refrigerate before serving.