Apple Pie with Brandy Butter Sauce
A double crust pie made with two kinds of apples, spices and a dessert sauce that gets poured over each piece.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 c salted butter (2 sticks) cold, diced
- 2 1/2 c flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 8 tbsp ice water
Filling
- 4-5 lbs apples granny smith, fuji
- 1 1/2 c light brown sugar
- 1/2 c salted butter (1 stick)
- 1/2 large naval orange juice
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 c sugar
- 1/4 c flour
- 1/4 c cornstarch
- 1 tsp vanilla
Brandy Butter Sauce
- 1/2 c salted butter (1 stick)
- 1 1/2 c powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla
- 1/2 tbsp Brandy liquor
- 1/4 c heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Begin with the crust. To a food processor add the flour, sugar, salt and cold diced butter (I like to freeze my butter beforehand). Pulse until you get the consistency of wet sand with butter hunks the size of peas.
- Add 8 tablespoons of ice cold water to the food processor while it's running through the shoot. Once the dough ball forms, remove from the food processor onto a floured surface.
- Press any loose bits into the dough, cut into two equal pieces. Shape each half into a disc and wrap with cling wrap. Place in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
- While the dough for the crust chills, work on the filling. Peel and slice apples 1/4" thick. If you have a very deep pie plate, you'll want 5 pounds of apples. I do a 50/50 mix of Granny Smith and Fuji. Set aside.
- To a large pot over medium heat melt a stick of butter then add the brown sugar. Once the brown sugar has dissolved, squeeze the juice of half a large naval orange into the pot. Stir then add the apples. Cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cinnamon and ground ginger and cook 2 minutes more.
- While the apples cook down prepare the thickener. To a medium bowl add 1/2 c sugar, 1/4 c flour and 1/4 c cornstarch. Whisk to get rid of any lumps. Set aside.
- Add the thickener to the apples, stir well and cook for 5 minutes until the juices in the pot have thickened to a goo consistency. Stir often. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes.
- Remove one of the pie crusts from the refrigerator, roll out on a floured surface and place in the bottom of a 9" pie plate. Fill the crust with the apples.
- Roll out the second pie crust and lay over the apples. Cut off the excess crust, leaving some overhang, then tuck the top crust under the edge of the bottom crust. Crimp the edge and cut venting slits on top.
- Place the pie plate on a sheet pan to catch any spillage. Bake at 375 degrees on the bottom rack for one hour 10 minutes. Cover the edge of your pie crust 40 minutes into baking.
- Allow your pie to cool completely. If you cut into it while it's hot, your filling will look like soup. The chill time is a necessary step. I suggest resting overnight.
- Just before you're ready to serve the pie make the Brandy butter sauce in a medium pot set on medium heat. Melt the butter down, add the powdered sugar and whisk. The powdered sugar may become a blob and not dissolve fully into the butter, that's okay. Add the cinnamon and heavy whipping cream. Whisk until it comes together. Once it reaches a rolling boil take it off the heat and add the vanilla and Brandy. Whisk again then pour over each piece of pie.
- If you want your pie served warm, you can add pieces to a skillet set over medium heat and baste the pie with the Brandy butter sauce while it's heating through or just microwave pieces before pouring over the hot sauce.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!