Ah yes, fall is here, which means it’s time to pick some juicy apples. And with apples comes apple cider, caramel apples, apple cobblers, and of course, apple pies. I am not typically a fan of pies, but I am a fan of this one. That’s because I was careful with the apples I selected and the spice mixture I used. This recipe makes enough for two 9” pies. You can half the recipe if you are only making one pie (but honestly, who would want to make only one?). But before we get to baking, we need to have a discussion about the main ingredient: apples.

Choosing The Best Apples For Apple Pies

You may think that any old apple will do for pie, but that’s not true. You want an apple that is not mushy and can hold its shape after being baked. Do not, I repeat, do not use Red Delicious Apples. Yes, you may have grown up snacking on these apples, but they are too soft for this process and in my personal opinion, have little to no flavor. You want to use Granny Smiths, Gala, Fuji, Ambrosia, Jazz, or any apple that holds its shape. If you want an apple pie that is more on the tart and sour side, look for green apples. If you want apple pie that is more on the sweet side, look for red/yellow apples. And feel free to mix the greens and reds, you might like the combination.

Okay. Discussion part is over. We bake!

The Ingredients

6 Gala Apples
3 Ambrosia Apples*
½ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1/ tablespoon cardamon
½ tablespoon nutmeg
2 packages of pre-made pie crusts**
1 egg and tablespoon of water

*The Ambrosia Apples were on the large size, so double up if your apples are smaller.

**I am not a fan of pre-made pie crusts. They are finicky and hard to work with. I found mine were tearing apart as I worked with them. If you can find the time, make your own pie crust.

Equipment

2 9” pie tins
A knife
Apple slicer (optional)
Large Mixing bowl and spoon
Measuring cups
Brush
Oven

Steps

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Peel and thinly slice your apples. If you happen to have an apple slicer, this will make the process go significantly faster. Thick slices will cause the apples to cook longer and unevenly. Place apples into a big mixing bowl.

Measure your dry ingredients and mix into the apples. Mix well, covering the apple slices.

Cover the bottom of your pie tin with one pie crust. Trim off the excess. Pour in half of the apple mixture into the pie.

Cover the pie with the second piece of pie crust. Trim off excess and crimp with fingers or a fork. Use a knife to cut small slits in the middle of the pie crust to let out steam. Feel free to use a latticework or decorate your pie crust however you like.