Apple Cider Pie Recipes

APPLE CIDER PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Dice butter into cubes and put back in the refrigerator. Place flour and salt in a food processor and pulse until combined. Add butter and pulse until the butter is crumbly, just a few seconds. Add 3 tablespoons apple cider and run the food processor until the mixture starts to clump. Test the mixture with your fingers - is it crumbly or smooth? If it's too smooth to form one full ball in the food processor add 1 teaspoon more of apple cider (up to 1 full tablespoon more) until the mixture forms a ball when the processor is running. Be careful not to add too much liquid.
• Divide the dough into two balls. If the dough is too soft, chill for 30 minutes before rolling it out. If you can, roll out each ball separately on a lightly floured surface. (A silicone mat is very helpful for this step!) The diameter of the crust should be at least 1" larger than an inverted pie plate. Place one pie crust in a 9" pie plate. Place the other on a cookie sheet covered with parchment or wax paper. Chill both crusts until the filling is ready. (The chilling is important. They MUST be chilled before adding filling, topping, and baking for optimal results.)
• Place the apples and 1 1/2 cups of apple cider in a large skillet. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the apples are almost translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the apples and reserve the cooking liquid in the pan.
• Stir together granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and salt. Stir in 2 tablespoons of cold apple cider. Add the cornstarch mixture to the hot apple liquid in the pan. Cook over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Add the butter and stir until melted. Remove from heat and add the apples back to the hot liquid. Let cool for 5-10 minutes.
• Remove crusts from the refrigerator. Slice the flat crust into 1" slices using a knife or pizza cutter. Sprinkle the brown sugar, cinnamon and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch in the bottom of the pie crust in the pie plate. Place the slightly cooled apples into the pie plate. Top the pie with the strips of dough in a lattice pattern.
• To create the lattice pattern (see this post for image tutorial): choose every other strip and place them on the pie crust with 1" gaps between them. Then take each remaining strip, starting at one end of the pie, and weave the strips over and under the strips that are on the pie in an alternating pattern.
• Brush the top of the pie with a little heavy whipping cream and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Place the pie on a cookie sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Cool completely before cutting. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream and apple cider syrup.

OLD FASHIONED APPLE CIDER PIE

Steps:

• Divide the pastry almost in half and roll out the larger half on a lightly floured surface to a 13-inch circle.
• Line a 9-inch pie tin with the pastry.
• Trim the edge to 1/2-inch beyond the rim of the pie tin.
• Combine the apples, 1 cup of apple cider and the sugar in a 3-quart saucepan and cook, over high heat, until the mixture comes to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 8 minutes or until the apples are tender.
• Drain the apples, reserving the syrup.
• Add enough additional apple cider to the syrup to make 1 1/3 cups.
• Return the syrup and apples to the saucepan.
• Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and stir until well blended.
• Stir the cornstarch mixture and the cinnamon into the apple mixture.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, then pour the mixture into the pastry lined pie tin.
• Roll out the remaining pastry to an 11-inch circle.
• Fold the pastry gently, so as not to tear it, into quarters and cut slits in the folds.
• Gently unfold the pastry on to the top of the filling and trim the edge to 1-inch beyond the rim of the pie tin.
• Fold the top crust under the lower crust and form a ridge by fluting the edge of the pie.
• Bake in a 400 degree F. oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown.
• Cool on a wire rack until slightly warm before cutting and serving.
• NOTE:
• This is the perfect pie to serve with the rich cheddar sauce in this file.

APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. In a small bowl, combine sugars, flour and spices; set aside. In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice. Add sugar mixture; toss to coat. , On a lightly floured surface, roll one half of dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim even with rim. Add filling; dot with butter. Roll remaining dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle. Place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edge. Cut slits in top. Beat egg white until foamy; brush over crust. Sprinkle with sugar. Cover edge loosely with foil. , Bake 25 minutes. Remove foil; bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 20-25 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack.

APPLE-PIE SPICED CIDER

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, whisk together cider, sugar, spices, and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Remove from heat; pour in brandy, if desired. Strain into a pitcher; discard solids. Serve in mugs, garnished with cinnamon sticks.

APPLE CIDER WHOOPIE PIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring the apple cider to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Continue to cook the cider until it has reduced to 1/4 cup/60 milliliters, about 16 to 18 minutes. Let cool completely. (You can pop the reduced cider in the fridge or freezer to cool faster while you continue.)
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, beat the room-temperature butter and brown sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add egg, apple butter and reduced apple cider, and beat until combined. Your batter may look like it has separated slightly, and that's O.K. Add the dry mixture and mix just until combined, again scraping the bowl as necessary.
• Portion the dough into 2-tablespoon scoops on 2 parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets, about 1 1/2-inches apart. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until the cakes are puffed and set, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer sheets to racks. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and the granulated sugar. Brush the tops of the warm cakes with a bit of the melted butter and gently toss them in the sugar mixture. Set aside to cool completely.
• In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla and beat to combine. Spread about 2 tablespoons of filling on the flat side of half of the cakes. Top with the other halves.

CIDER-CARAMEL APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Roll out one disk of dough and fit it into a 9-inch pie pan. Roll out the second disk as directed in Cook's Note and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill the crusts while you prepare the caramel and filling.
• Make the caramel: In a large wide pot, bring the cider to a boil over medium heat, then lower to medium-low heat and cook, without stirring, until the cider reduces to a sauce with the consistency of thin caramel, 45 to 60 minutes (the timing will depend on the size of your pot; check the progress every 15 minutes or so to start, and more frequently once it begins to thicken).
• Stir the butter, salt, and vanilla into the caramel, then pour the mixture into a heatproof bowl to cool slightly, about 15 minutes.
• Make the filling: Place the apples in a large bowl. In a small bowl, stir the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together. Add the mixture to the apples and toss to coat. Add the cooled caramel and toss well to combine.
• Arrange the filling in the chilled piecrust: If you place the apples in overlapping concentric circles, like a rosette, there will be fewer air pockets between the fruit, reducing the chance of the top crust collapsing after baking. Once you reach the upper edge of the pie pan, begin to make the circles smaller to mound the filling higher in the center to give the baked pie the domed look.
• Roll up the top crust onto the rolling pin and gently unfurl it over the filling. Press the edges of the top and bottom crusts gently together to seal, then trim the excess dough away using scissors, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Tuck the overhang under itself all the way around the pie.
• Crimp the edges of the crust as desired. I refrigerate the pie for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C), preferably with a baking stone on the bottom rack.
• Brush the top crust with the egg wash and sprinkle generously with turbinado sugar. Use a small sharp knife to cut a few small vents in the crust. Bake the pie on the stone or bottom rack until the crust is deeply golden and the filling is bubbling up through the vents, 40 to 50 minutes. If the crust begins to brown too quickly, reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and/or tent the crust or edges with foil. Cool the pie for at least 30 minutes before serving.
• To mix the dough by hand: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the butter cubes, tossing them through the flour until each piece is well coated. Cut the butter into the flour by pressing the pieces between your palms or your fingers, flattening the cubes into big shards and continuing to toss them through the flour, recoating the shingled pieces.
• For a flaky crust, continue cutting the butter into the flour just until the pieces of butter are about the size of walnut halves. Or, for a mealy crust, continue to work the mixture together until the pieces of butter are about the size of peas. To mix the dough in a food processor: See Pro Tip.
• Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add 3 tablespoons ice water for a single crust or 6 tablespoons for a double crust and mix to incorporate. Then add more ice water 1 tablespoon at a time and continue mixing just until the dough comes together. As it begins to come together, you can knead it a few times to make sure it's fully combined. It's important not to add too much water to the dough, which should never be sticky- it should hold together easily in a ball but still feel almost dry to the touch.
• Form the dough into an even disk if making a single crust; or divide in half and shape into 2 equal disks if making a double crust. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
• For a double-crust pie: Using one disk of dough, follow the instructions for a single-crust pie and chill the bottom crust in the pie pan. Roll out the second disk of dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thick and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Fill the bottom crust as directed in the recipe. Roll the top crust up onto the rolling pin, starting at the far edge of the dough. With the pie pan in front of you, start at the edge closest to you and gently unfurl the dough onto the filling. Trim the excess dough from the edges, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang all around. Use your fingers to press the edges of the bottom and top crusts together so they are lightly sealed. Chill the pie in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes or freeze for 5 minutes.
• Tuck the excess dough under at the edges, pressing lightly to help seal the dough to the rim of the pie pan. Return the dough to the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes or to the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes. Crimp the edges of the piecrust as desired. Bake as directed in the recipe.