Vermonters have strong opinions.
Especially when it comes to certain foods like...
Maple syrup, obviously.
Dairy, of course.
Beer.
And apples.
We love our apples - all the varieties - and we really love apple pie.
Featuring Cortland and fresh MacIntosh from our local orchards, this classic Vermont apple pie recipe is an Ellen Ecker Ogden original. If you are not already familiar with Ellen's work and you love all things Vermont - we cannot recommend her enough. She is a founding member of the Vermont Fresh Network and internationally celebrated "kitchen gardener" and horticulturist.
Ingredients:
Two Crust Pie Crust:
21/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sugar
2 sticks ( 1 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into ¼ inch pieces
1/2 cup ice water ( plan to use only 6–8 tablespoons)
Filling:
8 large tart cooking apples peeled, cored and cut into 1/4 inch chunks or slices (about 6 cups)
2 lemons, juiced
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cornstarch ( or 2 heaping tablespoons flour)
1/4 cup JEM maple syrup (we used Reserve/ Late Harvest)
3 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
Instructions:
Make the Crust:
In a large bowl of an electric mixer or food processor, combine the flour, salt and sugar. Drop in the salted butter piece by piece, pulsing quickly, until all is added and it is the texture of cornmeal. (You can do this with a pasty blender or with your hands rubbing quickly and lightly between your fingers. Drop in the unsalted butter, again by pulsing in-between pieces, until all is incorporated, about 2 minutes.
With the motor running, slowly add ice water one tablespoon at a time, until the dough begins to ball up and no flour is left. Do not over mix the dough. Form it into two discs, press to flatten slightly and wrap each in plastic wrap or waxed paper, and refrigerate for an hour or more.
When ready to roll, let the dough sit on slightly flour surface for about 5 minutes, then roll out each disc to 1/8 inch thick, about two inches larger than the pie plate. Transfer one of the discs into the pie dish, allowing the dough to overhang over the side.
Make the filling:
Preheat oven to 375*
In a large mixing bowl, combine the apples with the lemon juice, vanilla, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and cornstarch. Heap the apples into the crust, evenly pour the maple syrup mixture over the apples. Dot the top with butter.
Moisten the edges of the bottom crust, and gently place the top crust over the apples, or create a lattice work. Trim and crimp the edges to make a decorative edge.
Place in the hot oven and bake for 55 minutes, until the apples are tender and the crust is golden.
Ellen's Notes -
For a crispy glaze: beat 1 egg yolk with 2 teaspoons milk, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 tablespoon sugar. Brush the shell with a pasty brush, which will give it a nice golden crust.