Prepare your favorite homemade pie crust dough. Divide the dough in half and wrap each half tightly in plastic wrap. Place the dough in the fridge overnight. Check out my recipe with all my tips and tricks for perfect flaky pie crust.
Peel and core your apples and thinly slice into equal sized slices. In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter and then add in the sliced apples stirring to coat. Let the apples cook down for about 5 minutes until they begin to soften slightly.
Then add in the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, lemon juice, and vanilla. Let the apples continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the apples are soft, 10-15 minutes.
Dissolve the cornstarch in the cold water then add to the apples and stir until the mixture thickens. Taste and adjust flavorings if needed. Stir in the chopped pecans if desired (I love that they add a little crunch).
Transfer the apples to an airtight container and refrigerate overnight.
Remove from the fridge in the morning and allow to come to room temperature before assembling the pie.
Sam Day Preparation
Prepare your favorite homemade pie crust dough. Divide the dough in half and wrap each half tightly in plastic wrap. Place the dough in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes but 1-2 hours is best. Check out my recipe with all my tips and tricks for my perfect pie crust.
Peel and core your apples and thinly slice into equal sized slices. In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter and then add in the sliced apples stirring to coat. Let the apples cook down for about 5 minutes until they begin to soften slightly.
Then add in the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, lemon juice, and vanilla. Let the apples continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the apples are soft, 10-15 minutes.
Dissolve the cornstarch in the cold water then add to the apples and stir until the mixture thickens. Taste and adjust flavorings if needed. Stir in the chopped pecans if desired (I love that they add a little crunch).
Remove from the heat and allow the filling to cool completely to room temperature (1-2 hours).
Assemble the Pie
Lightly flour your counter-top and roll out the pie dough to ¼ inch thick and about 2 inches wider than your pie pan. Roll the pie crust into the pie pan and cut away any excess crust. Place the pie pan back in the fridge for 10 minutes.
Roll out the top crust and cut into 2 inch wide strips (or keep it in one piece, you do you).
Pour the cooled filling into the bottom crust and top with the strips in a lattice pattern. Place the pie back in the fridge to chill again for at least 15 minutes while the oven is heating.
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Lightly brush the top of the crust with egg wash and sprinkle with sparkling sugar if desired.
Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 350°F for 30-40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. If the edges of the crust start to get too brown, cover with aluminum foil for the remainder of baking.
For best results, let the pie cool completely before slicing (however since we know the filling is fully thickened, it won't ooze too much if you cut into it early.
Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and enjoy!
Notes
Store the pie covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Pre-cooking the filling is technically optional but I highly recommend it! It allows the filling to fully thicken so that you don't end up with runny apple pie filling.For best results, make the pie crust dough and filling the night before assembling. In the morning, take the filling out of the fridge and allow it to come fully to room temperature before assembly (about 2 hours). You can make both the pie crust dough and filling ahead of time and store in the fridge for up to 3 days before assembling the pie!Note: Most standard pie pans are about 1 inch deep. So if you're using a deep dish pie pan (1 ½ to 2 inches deep) this recipe will not yield enough filling to completely fill your pan and you may want to double it.