Deep Dish Apple Pie

A towering, flaky, buttery pie packed with five pounds of lightly spiced apples and a touch of lemon. A few Richberry halves first make the tart apples taste sweeter.

Total time: 4 hr 20 min
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Medium

Deep dish apple pie — Sweet moments, naturally.

Ingredients

Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
½ cup almond flour or finely ground blanched almonds
16 tbsp (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very cold, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 tsp salt
3 to 6 tbsp nonfat milk, very cold
1 tbsp heavy cream
1 large egg yolk
1 heaping tsp brown sugar

Filling

¼ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground ginger
5 lb mixed apples (such as Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Fuji, Braeburn), peeled and cut into ¼-inch slices
1 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp grated lemon zest
2 tbsp unsalted butter
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup packed light brown sugar

Directions

Make the pastry.
Pulse the flour, almond flour and salt in a food processor, then pulse in the butter 6 to 8 times until it looks like coarse meal. Add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing until the dough clumps. Shape into 2 discs, wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
Cook the apples.
Mix the salt, cinnamon and ginger in a large bowl, then toss in the apples and lemon zest. Cook, covered, in a heavy pot over medium heat, stirring often, for 15 to 20 minutes, until just fork-tender. Drain well and spread on a sheet pan to cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
Heat a baking sheet on the lowest rack. Let one pastry disc sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes.
Line the pie plate.
Roll the disc on a floured surface into a 12-inch circle about ⅛ inch thick, checking it isn't sticking. Fold it in half, lift it into a 9-inch pie plate and unfold to line it.
Fill and top.
Add the apples, sprinkle with the lemon juice and dot with the butter. Roll out the second disc, lay it over the filling, pinch the edges together and trim to a ¾-inch overhang. Tuck the edge under and flute or press with a fork.
Vent and glaze.
Cut four 2-inch slits in the top. Beat the egg yolk with the cream and brush it over the crust.
Bake and cool.
Bake on the hot sheet for 15 minutes, then lower to 375°F (190°C) and bake 50 to 60 minutes more, until the filling bubbles and the crust is golden. Cool on a rack for 1 ½ hours, then serve with vanilla ice cream.

Before you indulge

Use Miracle Berry

Just before eating, take 2–3 freeze-dried halves. Chew gently and let them linger for about 30 seconds.

Discard any pit if necessary.

Calorie savings

1 heaping teaspoon brown sugar + ½ cup sugar + ¼ cup packed light brown sugar = 770 calories

Good to know

Miraculin, the natural protein in miracle berry, can make sour foods like lemon taste sweet without adding sugar. For the best results, take 1–2 halves and follow the directions on your pack.

Tangy turns sweet. More possibilities.