Prep Time
40 min
Cook Time
55 min
Servings
8
Difficulty
Medium
Apple pie is the great American dessert — warm cinnamon-spiced apples in a flaky, buttery double crust that crackles when you cut through it. This recipe uses a mix of apple varieties for depth of flavour and a vodka trick for an impossibly flaky pastry.
🧂 Ingredients
- 300g (2½ cups) all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 225g cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 3–5 tbsp ice water
- 2 tbsp vodka (keeps crust flaky)
- 1kg (2.2 lb) mixed apples (Granny Smith + Honeycrisp)
- 150g (¾ cup) light brown sugar
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp allspice
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed (for filling)
- 1 egg, beaten (egg wash)
- 1 tbsp coarse sugar (for top)
👨🍳 Instructions
1
Make the pastry: pulse flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor. Add cold butter cubes and pulse until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining. Add vodka and ice water one tablespoon at a time, pulsing until dough just holds together. Divide in two discs, wrap in cling film, and refrigerate 1 hour.
2
Peel, core, and slice apples into 5mm slices. Toss with brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and lemon juice. Let sit 15 minutes, then drain off excess liquid.
3
Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). On a floured surface, roll one pastry disc into a 30cm (12-inch) circle. Fit into a 23cm (9-inch) pie dish, letting the overhang drape over the edges.
4
Pile the apple filling into the crust, mounding it in the centre. Dot with butter cubes. Roll the second pastry disc and lay over the top. Trim, press, and crimp the edges to seal.
5
Cut 6–8 slits in the top crust to vent steam. Brush all over with egg wash and sprinkle generously with coarse sugar.
6
Bake at 220°C for 20 minutes, then reduce to 190°C (375°F) and bake for another 35–40 minutes until the crust is deep golden and the juices are bubbling through the slits. Cool on a rack for at least 2 hours before slicing.