Delicious Deep Dish Apple Pie

Beautiful to behold. Delicious to eat!  My Deep Dish Apple Pie is a recipe you'll treasure for a lifetime.  This classic favorite is equally welcome during the winter holidays or for a summer barbecue. Impressive mounds of deliciously seasoned chunks of apple are piled high inside a tender, flaky pie crust and finished perfectly with a ball of creamy vanilla ice-cream.  Watch it dissapear before your very eyes… this tasty wonder doesn't last long!

Recipe for Deep Dish Apple Pie (Serves 10)

Ingredients

FILLING

• 4 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, quartered, and cored (They're crisp & won't turn into grainy mush during baking. Don't worry, we'll sweeten them up in a few steps!)
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1 orange, zested
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 teaspoon to sprinkle on top
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

FLAKY, TENDER PIE CRUST

• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter
• 3 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening cut into 4 pieces (measure, then refrigerate, then divide into 4 hunks because it hardens as it chills)
• 1/4 cup very cold vodka (Yes, you read correctly! A secret to tender dough: the alcohol moistens the dough for rolling without developing the gluten then cooks out during baking imparting NO flavor! Alternatively you may substitute white vinegar.)
• 3-4 tbsp ice water

Method

FLAKY, TENDER PIE CRUST & FILLING

1. Dice the butter and measure the shortening and return them to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. 
2. Place 3 cups of flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add butter and shortening and pulse 8-12 times until the butter is the size of peas. 
3. Remove lid of processor and re-distribute dough evenly around bowl. With the lid off, sprinkle chilled vodka and ice-water over mixture. Replace the processor lid and pulse the machine until dough begins to form a ball. Dump out onto floured board and roll into a ball. Cut the dough in half and form each piece into a 4 1/2 inch disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days (in latter case, be sure very tightly wrapped).
4. Remove one disk of dough from refrigerator and roll out on generously floured work surface to 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Roll from center to the edge, turning & flouring dough to ensure doesn't stick to board. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll into pie plate, leaving at least 1-inch overhang on each side. Working around circumference, ease dough into plate by gently lifting edge of dough with one hand while pressing into plate bottom with other hand. Leave overhanging dough in place; refrigerate until dough is firm, about 30 minutes (this relaxes dough preventing slipping/shrinkage).
5. While you prepare filling, remove 2nd disk of dough from fridge to rest on counter for 15 mintes. Cut each apple quarter in thirds crosswise and combine in a bowl with the zests, juices, 1/2 cup sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.  
6. Roll 2nd disk of dough into another 12-inch circle, repeating method above.
7. Remove dough-lined pie plate from fridge. Fill the pie with the apple mixture. Brush the edge of the bottom pie crust with the egg wash so the top crust will adhere. Top with the second crust and trim the edges to about 1-inch over the rim. Tuck the edge of the top crust under the edge of the bottom crust and crimp the 2 together with your fingers.  Refrigerate entire pie for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 400 F.
8. Brush the entire top crust with the egg wash, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar, and cut 4 or 5 slits.
9. Place the pie on a sheet pan and bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until the crust is browned and the juices begin to bubble out. 
10. Store pie on the counter under a tea towel or in a loosely covered pie or cake dome. (Don't refrigerate as this will cause the texture of the pie crust to lose it's flaky tender quality.  Also, don't vaccuum seal it on the the counter as some air circulation is necessary to prevent trapped moisture from affecting the pie crust texture)  Enjoy!

Delicious Deep Dish Apple Pie