It’s not often that I have to serve pie to 30 people. I think that happens maybe once ever few years, actually. But tonight is an occasion that I need to present some of my goodies in front of a large group of people. I thought about just making cookies or brownies, but then I thought that a pie would be more impressive. Also, I thought that this might give people occasion to see a recipe that will work for Thanksgiving, if you are serving a whole lot of people. You will need a rimmed half-sheet pan, but I think that most home bakers will have that. Maple extract adds a lot to this recipe; my flat smells absolutely wonderful because of the boost of the maple syrup flavor.
Ingredients
for the pastry
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 sticks chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2/3 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening, diced
10-12 tablespoons (or more) ice water
for the filling
11 large (or 15 medium) baking apples (I used Honey Crisp)
juice from 2 lemons
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon maple extract (or vanilla extract, if you don’t have maple)
3 tablespoons corn starch
pinch of salt
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water
coarse sugar, for sprinkling
You will also need: a rimmed half-sheet pan (18 x 13 inch)
Directions
Blend flour, sugar and salt in processor. Add butter and shortening and pulse in until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 8 tablespoons ice water and process until moist clumps form, adding more water by the teaspoonful if dough is dry. Gather into ball, then divide where one half is 2/3 of the dough and the other is 1/3 and flatten into two disks. Wrap in plastic and chill 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly spray 18×13 inch shallow baking sheet with baking spray.
Peel, core, and slice the apples into 1/2-inch slices. Place apples into a large bowl and toss with lemon juice to prevent browning. Add the brown sugar, corn starch, salt, maple syrup and maple extract and toss again. Let sit while you roll out the dough for the crust.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the larger of the dough disks to a 22 x 16-inch rectangle. Place in baking sheet and crimp edges. Dock the pastry with a fork a few times, all the way to the edges. Place the apple mixture into the pie crust, spreading them evenly.
This is where you can be creative. You may prefer to create a lattice top for your pie. Alternatively, you can use the second pie crust to create small shapes (flowers or leaves or stars, etc). I decided to go with a sort of abstract triangular lattice. After you have decorated the top of your pie, in a small bowl, whisk together the egg with a tablespoon of water. Brush over the pie dough and sprinkle with the coarse sugar.
Bake pie for 25 minutes at 400F before lowering oven temperature to 350F. Bake for an additional 25-35 minutes, or until golden brown and the apple juices are bubbling. If the edges or lattice begin to darken too quickly, cover with aluminum foil to prevent additional browning. Cool pie for at least 3 hours before slicing and serving.
