Deep-Dish All-American Cinnamon Apple Pie

Submitted by Rich Williams (‘62)
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Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup apricot preserves, melted and strained, divided
  • 3 pounds Rhode Island Greening or Granny Smith apples, peeled, quartered, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 teaspoon cornstarch

Cooking Instructions:

  1. Brush inside of baked pie shell with 2 tablespoons apricot preserves.
  2. Place apples, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl; toss to combine. Let stand until apples release about 1/2 cup liquid, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Drain apple liquid into a small, heavy saucepan. Set drained apples aside. Add butter to pan, and bring to a boil over medium-high; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to about 1/3 cup, 3 to 5 minutes.
  3. Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss drained apples with cornstarch. Arrange half of apples on bottom of pie shell; drizzle with half of the reduced apple syrup. Arrange remaining apples in overlapping concentric circles on top, starting from outside and working in; drizzle with remaining apple syrup. (The apples will be heaped above the top of pie shell but will sink down during baking.)
  4. Cut a round of aluminum foil to fit over top of pie; pull edges of foil up and crimp in 3 or 4 places to create a small dome. Tent pie with foil, and bake in preheated oven until apples are tender when pierced with a paring knife, 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes.
  5. Remove aluminum foil, and bake until tops of apples are lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes.
  6. Warm remaining apricot preserves, and brush over top of hot pie. Cool pie in pan on a wire rack 30 minutes. Transfer pie from pan to a serving platter. Serve warm, or cool to room temperature.