Barbara Treves' Award Winning Apple Pie

Submitted by blucoat

"Barbara Treves' Forever Favourite Apple Pie took top honors at the 1st Annual KCRW Good Food Pie Contest, winning first place in the Fruit & Nut category as well as being named "Best in Show". Start this recipe ahead of time to allow for soaking, resting, and cooling times."

 

• Ready In: 2hrs 45mins
• Ingredients: 24
• Yields: 1 pie
• Serves: 14

ingredients

• Crust

• 1 1⁄2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup unbleached organic all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla powder
• 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1⁄4 cups sweet butter, unsalted
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar, chilled
• 6 -8 tablespoons ice water

• Filling

• 4 tablespoons sweet butter
• 12 apples, peeled, cored and sliced (mixture of Granny Smith, Fuji or other tart, crisp apples the best)
• 1 vanilla bean, split seeds scraped
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1⁄4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1⁄2 cup sour dried cherries, soaked in 1/4 cup Calvados for at least 2 hours

• Final Topping

• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon cream
• turbinado sugar or coarse raw sugar

directions

1. For the crust: Measure out all dry ingredients, combine and place in freezer, keep butter & liquid ingredients in refrigerator for at least one hour prior to preparation.
2. When ready, add dry ingredients to food processor and pulse to mix thoroughly. Add butter cubes and pulse until mixture resembles pea-sized meal. Add vinegar, pulse to mix then add ice water, 1 T at a time, until dough begins to stick together and when pinched by hand, holds together. Remove from processor and transfer to work surface. Divide the dough into two equal parts and gently form into balls, and wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for at least one hour.
3. For the filling: Mix all dry ingredients, including vanilla bean seeds together. Add 2 T of this dry mixture to roasting pan, along with peeled and sliced apples. Place under broiler and broil until apples are slightly browned but not cooked through. Once nicely browned, remove and add rest of the ingredients, except butter.
4. Adding Filling to Pie Dough: Chill pie plate while you roll out 1 of the dough discs on a lightly floured surface until you get a disc that measure slightly larger than your pie plate and about 1/8 “– ¼” thick. Pull out pie plate and gently place rolled out dough in plate.
5. Add broiled apples mixture, then dot with 4 T butter. Roll out 2nd disc into a circle about 1/8” – ¼” thick and place on top of apples. Pinch top and bottom dough edges together and form a decorative edge.
6. For the topping: beat the egg and cream together in a small dish then brush top and edges of pie with mixture, sprinkle with sugar.
7. Bake at 400 F for 45 minutes Cover edges of pie with aluminum foil if starting to brown too quickly. Turn pie in oven and cook an additional 15 minutes or until done. Cool for at least two hours prior to serving.

Reviews

[kimberleydsaba]

I come from a long line of homemade apple pie lovers. I have tried many recipes and this was one of the best. The crust was delicious. I substituted pastry flour portion for 1/2 cake flour and 1/2 all purpose flour. It worked perfectly. I used some craisins instead of sour cherries, maybe 1/2 cup, not soaked, I also used liquid vanilla instead of powdered and no vanilla bean. I used Fuji apples and they were juicy and delicious. I did drain some liquid off of the top after they cooked in the oven. I had a large 9" pan and the crust could have been more in quantity to get a good edge. Everyone loved the pie. I served with whipped cream and vanilla ice cream. I will be keeping this recipe.