Several weeks ago we went to the apple farm and got a lot of apples, plus some pumpkins for painting and carving. The apples were the important part of the trip. I wanted and needed apples, lots and lots. We skipped apple picking this year and went straight to the farm market. Bins full of giant apples. And even more bins overflowing with pumpkins. Looking at all of those pumpkins I really can’t help but question… how was there a canned pumpkin shortage? I know a lot more goes into it than just having any old pumpkin though.

The apples, oh the wonderful giant and juicy apples. We got a 1/2 bushel of all giant cortland apples. They’re my favorite so it was a must. Plus, I find that they’re amazing for baking and of course just eating. I’ve been trying to resist just eating them. They’re so good to just sit and eat, sliced or not. But I’ve been trying to use as may as possible in my baking adventures. Before long we’ll have to start eating apples for meals so they’re consumed before they go bad!

A lot of times I see recipes that call for tart firm apples for baking. Sometimes that’s good and needed and other times softer sweeter apples are better. I love apple season because in New England it means amazing, giant, juicy cortland apples. The runner up would be macintosh. That use to be my favorite until I tried cortlands. They’re so good and very similar but I find the cortland is just a tad firmer and often much larger. Well… that’s just my experience with them. I personally prefer cortlands or macs for pies and most fall baking. If they’re available, I’m going to choose them before any other variety. Choose your favorite apple variety and you’ll love the pie that much more.

Don’t fear the pie. You can make one. They do take some time and a bit of love but they’re absolutely worth it. Prepare to have a few hours max free to do this, especially if it’s your first pie. Baking time is just over an hour. Prep time can vary widely depending on how fast you move and if you have help – let’s just say 30-ish minutes or more. Get all of your ingredients out prior to starting. This will save you time and hassle running around looking for things.

This is the hands down best apple pie I have ever had. I’ve had a lot of pies growing up and none compare to this one. I honestly don’t know if the ones I had growing up were homemade or store bought. It doesn’t matter because seriously this is so much better. The apples literally melt in your mouth. So delicious. Maybe I’m partial to it because I made it, I’ll let you be the judge. Make it and let me know what you think.

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German Apple Pie

Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Yield: 9

Ingredients
 

Crust Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 C all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 C shortening
  • 3-4 Tbsp cold water

Filling Ingredients:

  • 1 C granulated sugar
  • 1/4 C all purpose flour
  • 4 tsp cinnamon
  • 5-6 C apples
  • 1 C whipping cream

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 450.° In a medium bowl, mix flour, salt and vanilla. Using a knife, cut up the shortening into small slices or chunks. Drop shortening into the flour mix. Press and cut the mixture until it is crumbly. Add 3 tbsp of cold water. Mix and toss around until the dough holds mostly together. If you still have a lot of dry mix not sticking to the rest, add in another tbsp of cold water.
  • When you're satisfied with the dough mix, form a ball and transfer to a large sheet of plastic wrap. Fold the extra plastic wrap over the dough or pull off another sheet to top it off. Push down gently to flatten, then begin to roll with a rolling pin. Roll from the middle of the dough away from you. Turn and flip as needed. Continue to roll out the dough until it is very thin and large enough to fit your pie plate.
  • Remove the plastic wrap from one side of the rolled out dough. Carefully flip and position the dough into the pie plate. Before removing the plastic wrap entirely, press the dough into the pie plate along the bottom and the sides. After the dough has been smoothed and pressed well remove the remaining plastic wrap. If you prefer the crimped pie crust edge look or wish to have a smooth edge, simple fold the edges of your crust down into the pan sides or use a knife to remove excess dough. Crimp or smooth as desired. If you want to fold the crust over, leave as is until your pie is filled. Set pie crust aside.
  • In a small bowl, mix sugar, flour and cinnamon. Sprinkle half of your sugar mix into the pie crust.
  • Peel, core and slice half of your apples. Layer these slices into the pie crust. Top with 3 tbsp of your sugar mix. Repeat apple layer with remaining apples to be peeled, cored and sliced. Sprinkle with the rest of your sugar mix.
  • If you have chosen to fold over the edges of your crust, do so now. Pour 1 cup whipping cream over apples. Set aside.
  • Cover a baking sheet with tin foil. And if you wish, extend your pie crust sheild with additional tin foil. I do this when I make my pies with the folded crust. This helps to keep the crust from burning or getting too dark. If you want a darker crust, remove the sheild halfway through the baking time. If you're crimping or keeping a simple crust edge, no additional foil is needed on the crust sheild. I just find that the sheilds are far too narrow, so I add to it when necessary.
  • Bake at 450F° for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350F° for 1 hour. Cool completely. Store covered in the fridge. I personally like chilling the pie overnight before slicing. A cold pie slices better than a warm pie. And for some strange reason, I like the pie reheated vs freshly warm.

Notes

Adapted from Taste of Home
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most accurate data, use your preferred nutrition calculator with the actual ingredients you used to make this recipe.
Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Snap a picture and tag @bakedbyrachel on Instagram!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keywords: Apple, Pie