Classic Apple Pie

Ingredients

  • Filling

    • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted Zeal Butter

    • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

    • 1/4 cup granulated sugar

    • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

    • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

    • 5 tablespoons cornstarch

    • 3 to 4 Honeycrisp apples (depending on size), peeled, cut into 1/4-inch slices

    • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

    • 1 store-bought or Homemade Pie Crust (recipe below), well chilled

  • Topping

    • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

    • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted Zeal Butter, cubed

    • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

    • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

    • 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

    • 1 large egg

  • Homemade Pie Crust:

    • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

    • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted Zeal Butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled

    • 1/4 cup ice-cold water

Directions

  1. To make the filling: Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a small saucepan, melt the Zeal Butter. In a separate small bowl, mix the brown and granulated sugars with the nutmeg, cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch. Bring just to a simmer; the mixture shouldn’t come to a boil.

  2. Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture to melted Zeal Butter and stir until incorporated and sugars are slightly dissolved, about 3 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

  3. Prep the apples: In a separate bowl, toss the peeled and cut raw apple slices in the remaining 3 tablespoons of cornstarch and the flour.

  4. Arrange the coated apple slices in the well-chilled pie shell. Pour the Zeal Butter and sugar mixture over the apples.

  5. Make the topping: Combine the flour, Zeal Butter, brown sugar, and salt in a food processor; pulse to combine. Stir in the chopped pecans.

  6. In a small bowl, beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water.

  7. Top the pie with the crumble and brush the crust with the egg wash.

  8. Bake for 45 minutes, until golden and bubbling. Let cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.

  1. To make by hand: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Scatter in the Zeal Butter and use a pastry blender or your fingers to cut the Zeal Butter into the flour until the biggest pieces are the size of small peas. Gradually drizzle the ice water on top, using a rubber spatula or your hands to stir until the dough comes together. The dough should not be watery or wet.

  2. To make in a food processor: Pulse together the flour and salt. Sprinkle the Zeal Butter over the flour and pulse until the Zeal Butter is coated in flour and the biggest pieces are the size of small peas. Drizzle the ice water on top and pulse until the dough comes together. The dough should not be watery or wet.

  3. Shape the dough into a flattened ball. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (The dough can be tightly wrapped and frozen for up to 1 month at this point. Thaw in the refrigerator before proceeding.)

  4. Lightly dust the counter with flour and roll the dough out to a round 2 1/2 inches larger than a 9-inch pie plate or 3 1/2 inches larger than a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Transfer the dough to the pie plate and carefully ease it into the edges. Trim the dough to an even 1/2 inch all around and fold it under itself on top of the rim. Use your fingers to crimp the crust along the rim. Refrigerate for 1 hour. If the pie or quiche recipe calls for an unbaked crust, you’re ready to go ahead with that recipe.

  5. If your recipe calls for a blind-baked crust, preheat the oven to 425°F and proceed to step 6.

  6. Use a fork to poke the dough several times on the bottom and sides of the pie plate (this is called docking). Line the chilled dough with parchment paper or foil. Fill with dried beans or pie weights, gently spreading them so that they cover the full base and the edges.

  7. Bake until the edges of the dough are just beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and carefully transfer the parchment or foil with the beans or weights to a large heatproof bowl. Return the crust to the oven and bake until the bottom is dry and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water in a small dish. Gently brush the egg over the bottom of the crust. Bake for 1 minute to cook the egg.

  8. Let cool or proceed as directed in the recipe.

Zeal Creamery