Kahan Family Apple Pie
With Rosh Hashana not a month away, it’s time to break out the apple recipes. This one will be featured in an upcoming issue of the Jewish Advocate. It’s nothing terribly complex, just our tried-and-true formulation for apple pie. (Apple pie plays such a prominent role in my in-laws’ family celebrations that we served a giant apple pie at our wedding rather than cake.)
A few notes: we used to make apple pie with vegetable shortening, but this crust recipe which calls for margarine is easier to work with. Fleischmann’s pareve unsalted margarine works well, but use Earth Balance sticks to avoid hydrogenated nastiness. If you measure correctly and work quickly, the dough should come together perfectly in the food processor every time. As for apples, we always use a sweet apple that holds its shape, like a Cortland — you won’t find Granny Smiths in our pies.
KAHAN FAMILY APPLE PIE (pareve)
Dough:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
10 Tbsp. cold, unsalted margarine, cut into 1/2″ pieces
1/4 cup ice water
Filling:
8 apples, peeled and sliced
3/4 cup sugar
3 tsp. cinnamon (or more to taste)
1 egg, separated
Add dry ingredients to food processor and mix a moment to combine. Add the cold margarine pieces and pulse several times until the mixture has a texture of coarse meal.
With the machine running, gradually add the ice water through the feed tube just until the dough gathers together into a ball. Remove dough from processor, divide ball in half, flatten each half into a thick disk, and wrap each disk in plastic wrap. Chill for one hour.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Remove one dough disk from the refrigerator and unwrap it. Working quickly, roll it out on a floured work surface or between two sheets of wax paper. Dough sheet should be 1/8″ thick and a couple inches wider than your 8″ or 9″ pie plate. Lightly fold dough in half, then in quarters; transfer into your pie plate and unwrap. Trim the dough to allow a one-inch overhang.
Roll out the other dough disk as the first and set aside.
Combine sliced apples, sugar, and cinnamon. Brush bottom dough with egg white and pour in apple mixture to form mound. Place dough sheet over apple mound and seal (rustically) with fingers. Cut a few vents on the top of the crust, then brush lightly with egg yolk.
Bake for 35-45 minutes, until crust is golden and juices are visible at edges. Cool, serve, and enjoy.