Convenient Apple Pie
This is the perfect Apple Pie for a lazy Sunday when that craving suddenly hits. Sometimes, the most basic recipes are the most enjoyable. There is no mixing bowl required: less dishes!
Prep time, 30 mins
Bake time, 45-50 mins
Cooling time, about 3+ hours
Total time, 4 hours+ (But it is worth it!)
Tools
Cutting Board
Knife
Fork
Measuring cups/spoons
Sauté pan
Pie Dish
Sheet Tray
Oven
Aluminum Foil
Parchment Paper, Optional, but recommended.
Ingredients
2 sheets of Pie Dough*
2 large Apples**
6 tablespoons of Butter, sliced
½ cup (about 170 g) of Pear or Apricot jam***
¼ cup (about 55 g) of Brown Sugar
1 Tbs of Corn Starch
1 Tsp of Cinnamon (season to taste)****
1 Tsp of Salt
Notes
*This recipe is about convenience, so I used pre-made dough from the grocery store.
**I used Honeycrisp. Here is a list of some of the best Apples for baking. But don’t stress, whatever apples you have should be fine. Some varieties, may to mush, but that’s okay. Your pie will still be delicious.
***Don’t fret if you don’t have Jam. I happened to have some I wanted to use up. If you don’t have Jam, add ½ of water, extra Cinnamon/Spices, and an extra Tbs of Corn Starch to thicken.
****I only had Cinnamon on hand. Other great additions include Allspice, Nutmeg, Ginger, Cardamom, and Cloves.
Steps
Preheat your oven to 375F, or 190C. Prepare your baking dish. For easier cleanup, I opted to line my Pie Dish with Parchment paper. To ensure your pie crust doesn’t burn, create a pie crust shield out of Aluminum Foil. Reserve the circle of foil.
Place one sheet of pie dough into the Pie Dish and dock the crust with a fork.
Rinse your Apples and be sure to remove produce stickers. If you want, skin your Apples. (I left the skin on mine). Slice the Apples into ½ inch (about 1.25 cm) chunks. Remember that the size of the chunks isn’t the most important; consistently sized chunks are. This way, all the Apple chunks will cook at the same rate.
Heat your Sauté Pan on medium and add 3 slices of Butter. Reserve the other slices for later.
Once the Butter is melted, add the Apple slices. Pour the Brown Sugar, and Cinnamon/Spices and mix to combine. Stir occasionally for 1-2 minutes.
Add the Jam, or Water. Stir to combine. Decrease the heat to low. Be cautious; if your pan is too hot, the mixture will start sputtering, and you can get burned! Cook for 15 minutes, and stir occasionally to prevent sticking. You will notice that the mixture will thicken slightly on its own, and that the Apples will soften.
Sprinkle 1 (or 2 if opting for water) tbs of Corn Starch to the pan and stir to combine. The liquid should be thick, like caramel. If it’s still runny, consider adding sparing amounts of Corn Starch, or cooking the mixture longer, allowing more of the liquid to reduce and thicken naturally.
Carefully pour the filling into the Pie Dish. Spread it evenly, then scatter the remaining 3 slices of butter on top.
Place the second Pie Crust on top. To seal the layers together, I roll the crust inward, towards the center of the pie. The inner layer will become the pie crust. If you want, you can decorate the pie crust with decorative folds, or using a fork, spoon, or spatula. Don’t fuss, your pie doesn’t have to be photogenic.
Slice steam vents into the top crust. Add your Aluminum Foil shield to your crust. Place your Pie Dish on a Sheet Tray and add to the Oven on the middle rack.
Don’t forget the Sheet Tray! Fruit pies will leak, and a Sheet Tray is going to save you the trouble of cleaning burnt goo off the bottom of your Oven.
Bake for 45-50 minutes. When there are about 20 minutes left, remove the Aluminum Foil shield from the edges. If you notice the center becoming too dark, place the reserved circle of foil onto the center.
Once the crust is golden brown, remove from the Oven, and allow to cool for a minimum of 2 hours. You do not want to eat your Apple Pie hot, it will be very similar to biting into molten lava.
Once the pie is safe to handle, slice, and enjoy alone, with whipped cream, or ice cream. Maybe even a slice of cheese! Enjoy!😊
