I have always struggled with making fruit pies. After pulling out countless soggy messes from the oven, wondering where I went wrong. I always follow recipes word for word, but it has never seemed to work. On that note, if you can bake a pie without taking extra steps, please share your secrets. I went through so many suggestions, and compiled my fool proof apple pie recipe. This recipe includes everything you could possibly do to prevent a fruit pie from becoming a swamp other than separately assembling the pie and filling. If you're like me and constantly devastated by poor, wet pies, this recipe combats them all. I have chosen to pre cook my apples with this recipe. If you're daring, you can follow the same steps without pre cooking the apples and adding extra time to the bake.
Tips for avoiding a soggy pie:
Add cornstarch to the mixture
Chill pie crust before filling
Start bake at a high temperature and continue baking at a high temperature
Giving your pie enough time to cook
Pre cook filling
Serve after it sets for several hours
Adapted from All Recipes.
Ingredients
Makes 1 10-inch pie
2 pie crusts (1 for the base, 1 for the lattice)
4 Granny Smith apples
4 Honey Crisp apples (reduce to 3 if using a 9-inch pie pan)
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/3 c unsalted butter
1/4 c water
1 1/2 T flour
1 1/2 T cornstarch
1/2 c white sugar
1/2 c brown sugar, not packed
Optional: extra flour or egg wash
Directions
Let pie crust thaw at room temperature for ~30 minutes before using. Do not microwave to speed up the process! If you forgot to do this, start by preparing you apples instead of the pie crust first to give crust enough time to soften at room temperature.
Preheat oven to 425˚F (my oven is 450˚F). You want the oven to pre heat for at least 15 minutes before the pie goes in so it is hot enough for the pie to set.
Prepare pie crusts. Roll out 1 pie crust to cover the bottom/sides of the skillet/pie pan. Roll out the second pie crust so it has a slightly greater diameter than the top of the pan and lay it inside the pan. Poke holes in the bottom with a fork and add a thin layer of flour or egg wash on top (this soaks up moisture). Cut the second pie crust into 1-inch strips and arrange into a lattice on a plate. Here are directions on making a lattice. Place the pie bottom and lattice crust in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Prepare apples. Peel and core apples. Slice into 1/4 inch slices. Lightly cook apples in a large pan until they seem about 50% cooked. You are trying to remove excess moisture, without overcooking the apples. Drain cooked apples in a colander over a bowl to collect the extra fluid (you want to save this). Toss cooked apples with cinnamon and nutmeg.
Reduce the saved liquid from the apples by heating it in a small sauce pan until the water evaporates and you are left with a caramel-like liquid. Pour this liquid back into the apples and toss to mix evenly.
Make caramel sauce. Melt butter in a small sauce pan. Once the butter has melted, add water and flour. Add cornstarch by sifting it in (I use a reusable coffee filter for this) to prevent lumps. Evenly mix everything together so there are no lumps. Add in white and brown sugar. Mix constantly and check for caramelization. Due to the large amount of cornstarch, it is unlikely bubbles will break the surface as the caramel simmers. Stir and look for bubbles at the bottom of the pan to tell if the caramel is ready. The mixture will have thickened and the bottom will be simmering. If you cook the caramel for too long, it will separate so it is best to take it off the heat earlier rather than later. Quickly start assembling the pie.
Assemble the pie. Mix the caramel sauce with the apples. Transfer the mixture into the chilled pie crust by scooping the apples in, instead of pouring. ~1/4 c of caramel will remain at the bottom of the bowl with apples. Transfer the lattice onto the pie crust by flipping the plate over onto the pie. Tuck the edges of the lattice that stick out into the pie (try to avoid cutting them, since the lattice will shrink in the oven). Brush the remaining caramel sauce over the lattice.
Bake. Place pie pan on a baking sheet to catch drips. Bake pie at 425˚F for 15 minutes to set the crust. Reduce temperature to 375˚F (my oven 400˚F) for an additional 50-70 minutes until pie is baked. Check on the pie periodically while baking because the moisture content of apples varies and pies will bake differently every time. You want to see caramel boiling and pouring over the edge for at least 20-30 minutes before the bake is finished. The pie is done when the lattice is well cooked, the filling is a dark golden color, and there are no large amounts of liquid pooling inside.
Serve pie after giving it several hours to set and come to room temperature (I served mine three hours after it came out of the oven).
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