Brown Butter Apple Pie
Brown butter pairs with a mix of baking apples in this double-crust dish to evoke a nostalgic, caramel apple-like flavor.
Full of nutty, caramel-like flavors, brown butter may be the most magical thing you can do in the kitchen. It's a surefire way to improve almost any pie or baked good, filling dishes with a rich, fall-like flavor and prompting more unsolicited requests for the recipe than almost any other ingredient. Here, it's used to great effect in both the filling and the crust, taking that most American of pies and making it into a caramel-apple flavored masterpiece.
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Yields:
8 serving(s)
Prep Time:
1 hr
Total Time:
9 hrs
Ingredients
For the brown butter:
- 1 1/2 c.
(3 sticks) unsalted butter
For the crust:
- 2/3
recipe Brown Butter
- 2 2/3 c.
all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 1/4 tsp.
kosher salt
- 1 tsp.
granulated sugar
- 1/2 c.
ice water
For the filling and assembly:
- 3 lb.
mixed apples (such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Braeburn), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
- 1/3
recipe Brown Butter
- 1 1/4 c.
packed light brown sugar
- 1/3
all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
- 1 1/2 Tbsp.
fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 tsp.
kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp.
ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp.
ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp.
ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp.
ground cardamom
- 1 tsp.
pure vanilla extract
- 1
large egg
- 1 Tbsp.
turbinado sugar
Directions
- Step 1Make the brown butter: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling occasionally, until golden brown and nutty smelling, 9 to 10 minutes. Transfer 2/3 of the butter (about 6 ounces) to a bowl and 1/3 (about 3 ounces) to a separate bowl (scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a spatula). Cover and refrigerate until firm and cold, at least 2 hours and up to 1 week.
- Step 2Make the crust: Chop the 2/3 portion of brown butter into pieces. Whisk together flour, salt, and granulated sugar in a bowl. Cut butter into flour using two forks or a pastry blender until it resembles coarse meal with several pea-size pieces remaining. Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, using a fork to pull dough together into a crumbly pile (add up to an additional 2 tablespoons of water if needed). Divide into two piles; wrap each in plastic wrap and flatten into discs. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
- Step 3Make the filling: Cook apples and remaining 1/3 portion of brown butter in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add brown sugar, flour, lemon juice, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom. Cook, stirring, until combined and thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet to cool, about 30 minutes.
- Step 4Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in the bottom position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. On a lightly floured work surface, roll one disc of dough to a 12-inch circle. Fit into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Top with apple filling. On a lightly floured work surface, roll remaining dough to a 12-inch circle. Place on top of filling. Trim both layers of dough to a 1-inch overhang, fold under, and crimp. Freeze 20 minutes.
- Step 5Whisk together egg and 1 teaspoon water in a bowl. Brush on pie, then sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Cut 3 or 4 slits in pie. Bake on prepared baking sheet 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 350°F, and bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool on a wire rack at least 4 hours before serving.
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