Stencil Apple Pie Recipes

MOCK APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Place bottom pastry in a 9-in. pie plate. Layer crackers in shell; set aside. In a small saucepan, combine remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Carefully pour over crackers (filling will be very thin). Cool for 10 minutes. Cut lattice strips from remaining pastry; place over filling. Seal and flute edges. Bake at 400° for 25-20 minutes or until golden brown.

DOUBLE CRUST APPLE PIE

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of piecrust to a 1/8-inch-thick circle, about 13 inches in diameter. Drape dough over a 9-inch pie pan. Transfer pan to refrigerator, and chill 30 minutes.
• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk together the egg yolk and cream; set aside.
• In a large bowl, toss together apples, lemon juice, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; place in chilled bottom crust. Dot with butter.
• Roll out the remaining disk of piecrust as in step one. Brush rim of bottom crust with egg wash. Place second piece of dough on top, and trim so 1 inch overhangs. Tuck dough under, and crimp edges with a fork or your fingers. Transfer pie to the refrigerator, and chill until firm, about 15 minutes.
• Remove pie from the refrigerator, brush with egg wash, and sprinkle generously with sugar. Cut five vents in top to allow steam to escape as the pie bakes.
• Bake until crust begins to turn light brown, about 25 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees, and bake until golden brown and the juices are bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve pie with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

APPLE PIE TWISTS

Steps:

• Sprinkle some flour onto a large piece of parchment paper on a work surface and lay out one piece of the puff pastry. Spread the apple butter over the entire surface of the pastry. Place the other piece of pastry on top.
• Flour a rolling pin and roll the pastry out until it is pressed into a flat, cohesive square sheet. A little apple butter will squeeze out; just make sure not to press it all out!
• Use a large jar lid or measuring cup to score the center of the pastry square to keep an uncut center. Make 4 cuts from the center (keeping the lid in place); there should be 4 even quadrants. Cut each quadrant into 4 equal strips, all making a sunburst pattern from the center. Twist the strips twice around, bringing the tips back to their original position.
• Transfer the parchment to a baking sheet. Remove the lid from the center and place a stencil in the center (if using). Brush the puff pastry with the egg and sprinkle it evenly with the turbinado sugar. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Remove the stencil if using. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

FRIED APPLE PIES

Steps:

• Make the pie dough: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour and salt to combine. Add the cubed butter and pulse until the butter is well distributed throughout, and the largest pieces are no larger than a pea. (You can also do this by hand with a pastry cutter in a large bowl.)
• Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and make a well in the center. Add the ice water and toss the mixture with your hands to distribute the water throughout the flour. Once the mixture is very fine, press and knead it a few times until it comes together. If there are portions of the dough that are more hydrated, use your hands to break them up, then incorporate the drier portions of the dough. The dough should not be totally smooth, or overly wet. If needed, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture comes together easily in a ball.
• Divide the dough in half and form each into a disk about ½-inch thick. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Make the filling: In a medium pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add apples, tossing to coat in the butter. Add lemon juice, vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt and stir to combine. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the apples start to soften, 5 to 6 minutes.
• In a small bowl, whisk together granulated sugar and flour. Add to the pot and stir well to combine. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. (If you'd like to make it ahead of time, the filling will keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
• When the dough is chilled, and using a lightly floured rolling pin on a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk about ¼-inch thick. Use a 4-inch round biscuit cutter or cup to cut about five circles from the dough. (You can also use a plate or stencil as a guide and use a knife to cut.) Wrap the scraps in plastic wrap and chill while you fill the dough.
• Use a fork or small slotted spoon to transfer about 1 heaping tablespoon filling into the center of each circle. (Try to scoop just the apples, leaving behind most of the syrup.) Brush the outside edge of one half of the dough with cool water, then fold the circle in half to encase the filling. Press the edges firmly to seal, then crimp with a fork. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, and refrigerate, uncovered, while you shape the remaining pies. Repeat this process with the other disk of dough and combine the dough scraps with the others in the refrigerator.
• Re-roll the combined scraps to create about another 4 circles of dough and repeat the process with the remaining filling.
• Pour 3 to 4 inches oil in a medium, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. When the oil reaches 350 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, you're ready to fry. (You can also test the temperature with a scrap piece of dough; it should immediately rise to the surface.) Line a baking sheet with a few layers of paper towels.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon and salt. Remove the pies from the refrigerator.
• Fry 3 to 4 pieces at a time (or fewer if necessary to avoid crowding) until evenly golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Watch the temperature of the oil. You may need to adjust the heat as you work. When the hand pies are evenly browned, use a spider or slotted spoon to remove them from the oil and transfer to the towel-lined baking sheet to drain.
• After about 1 minute, while the pies are still warm, toss them in the cinnamon sugar to coat, then set on a serving platter. Repeat the frying and coating process with the remaining pies. Serve immediately.