Ingredients
3 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 c. shortening, cut into chunks
1 tbsp. white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
6 tbsp. ice water, divided
2 egg whites, divided
1/2 c. butter
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. water
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 c. fresh cranberries
Coarse sugar, for sprinkling (optional)
Preparation
Step 1Make the crust: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add shortening and gradually work into flour with a pastry cutter until it resembles a coarse meal, 2 to 3 minutes.Step 2Add vinegar and 4 tablespoons ice water. Toss mixture gently, then add remaining ice water until dough begins to come together. (You may need to add more water 1 tablespoon at a time, until all flour is moistened.)Step 3Separate dough in half and form two evenly sized balls. Wrap each in plastic wrap and press down to slightly flatten each (this will make rolling easier later). Transfer to refrigerator if using within 24 hours; otherwise transfer to freezer.Step 4When ready to use dough, remove from freezer and thaw 15 to 30 minutes before rolling out one ball as the bottom and crust and slicing the other into a lattice.Step 5Make the filling: Preheat oven to 350°. Place bottom crust in your pan and brush with egg white (reserve the rest to brush on top of the pie). Place in the freezer while you prepare the filling.Step 6In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter, then stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice and bring to a boil; reduce temperature and let simmer.Step 7Meanwhile, combine apples and cranberries in a large bowl. Add brown sugar mixture to apples and toss to coat, then arrange apple cranberry mixture in a mound in pie dish and cover with a lattice crust. Brush with remaining egg white and sprinkle with course sugar, if desired.Step 8Bake until apples are soft and crust is deeply golden, about 1 hour.
Frozen is just as good as fresh Fresh cranberries are sometimes hard to find outside of Thanksgiving season, so if you’re in a pinch you can 100% use a bag of frozen cranberries. Just defrost them and drain well before assembling the pie, you don’t want any extra water sogging up the crust. And speaking of crust, if you run out of time, you can use a frozen pie dough or pre-made crust instead of making you own. We promise no one will be able to tell. You can make the pie dough ahead of time Once you start making pie dough in advance, your whole life will change. Make a few batches of a double crust pie dough recipe every few months, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or a freezer safe bag and stash them in the freezer. Defrost the dough in the fridge overnight (or at least 5 hours ahead) when you have a pie craving. Plus, by stocking up, you’ll never have to wait for pie dough to rest ever again. Use cold (really cold!) butter For any pie-baking newbies, cold butter = flaky crust. When mixing the dough in the food processor, you’re looking for pea-size (or a bit larger) clumps of butter. If you over-mix the dough, you risk a crust that comes out tough, and no one wants that. Yes, vinegar belongs in a pie crust! Vinegar is the secret ingredientJust a little bit of vinegar in the dough helps make your crust more tender and the dough easier to work with. If you don’t have vinegar, vodka or lemon juice will work too. Do I have to use a lattice? Not at all! The beauty of pie making is having the freedom to top however you want. You could do just a classic top crust with some slits or go crazy with cookie cutters and other decorative cuts. Chill the pie crust before baking After draping the pie crust into the pie plate and crimping the sides, it’s important to chill the dough to keep the crust from slumping in the oven. Place the whole thing in the fridge for 30 minutes or the freezer for 10 minutes. Made it? Let us know how it went in the comment section below!
