Ingredients:
2 frozen deep dish pie crusts
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
4 lbs of mixed apples (Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Fuji, Braeburn, Cortland, McIntosh), peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/2 teaspoon of grated lemon zest
- Mix 1/2 cup white sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl.
- Peel and cut apples into 1/4 inch slices (I used an apple slicer (it cuts the apple into 8 pieces) then cut each slice lengthwise again.
- Add the apples and lemon zest to dry mixture and toss to combine.
- Transfer apples to a large, thick-bottomed covered pan or Dutch oven and cook, covered, over medium heat, stirring frequently, until apples are just tender when poked with a fork, but still hold their shape – about 15 to 20 minutes (but not so long for the apples to turn into applesauce).
cooked down apples - Preheat oven to 425°F with a baking sheet on a rack on the lowest rung of the oven. You will cook the pie on the lowest rung of the oven to ensure the middle of the pie isn’t doughy.
- Put apples in a colander over a bowl to drain excess liquid. Drain off as much juice as possible.
- Cook down the drained liquid in the Dutch oven.
- Arrange the cooked apples in one frozen piecrust. Pour the thickened apple juice over the apples.
- Sprinkle flour on a cutting board or granite countertop. Take the other pie crust from the pan, place flour on top of the dough. Roll. Cut in 1/2 inch strips to create a basket weave on the top of the apples.
- Fold dough strips under edge of the pan. Using a fork, flute the edges.
- Cut four strips of 2 inch wide aluminum foil. Cover the edges of the pie with the foil so it won’t burn.
- Set pie on preheated baking sheet (to catch any juices that may escape from the pie while cooking). Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 375°F and cook for an additional 40 minutes, until filling bubbles in the center and crust turns golden brown. (I covered my pie loosely with foil 30 minutes into the cook time so the top would not burn)
- Cool, then cut into wedges and serve with vanilla ice cream.
Enjoy!
