ONLINE EXTRA — APPLE PIE OF YOUR EYE: CIA Gold Standard Apple Pie . . . Cran-Apple Pie . . . Apple Pandowdy Pie, etc.

CIA Gold Standard Apple Pie

DOUGH:

11 tablespoons soft, unsalted butter

¾ cup solid vegetable shortening

3 1/3 cups pastry flour

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup ice water, plus more if needed

FILLING:

2 2/3 pounds peeled, cored, thinly sliced apples (about 10 cups)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Pinch of salt

¼ cup packed light brown sugar

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 of a whole nutmeg, grated

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

1/3 cup sugar heated with ¼ cup water to dissolve sugar

For the dough: Beat the butter and shortening in the large bowl of an electric mixer until blended. Transfer the mixture to a piece of plastic wrap and form into a flat disc about 1 inch thick. Freeze firm.

Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Grate frozen butter mixture into bowl. Working quickly, and using your fingertips, rub the butter and flour together until the mixture looks mealy and the flour is coated with shortening.

Add water, stirring constantly, until a dough forms that holds together. Add water by tablespoonfuls if necessary.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. With the heel of your hand, push the dough down and forward across the surface about 6 times, until the dough looks smooth. Form into 2 discs, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

For the filling: Preheat oven to 475 degrees. In a large bowl, mix the apple slices and lemon juice. In a small bowl, mix salt, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir half of the sugar mixture into the apples. Stir in melted butter. Spread in a single thickness on a baking sheet with 1-inch high sides and bake for about 18 minutes, until the juices caramelize and most juices are evaporated, stirring once. Cool thoroughly.

Stir the remaining sugar mixture, tapioca and cornstarch into the apples. Reduce oven to 375 degrees.

On a lightly floured surface, roll one disc of pie dough into a circle about 4 inches wider than the bottom of the pie pan. Press dough into pie pan. Trim the edges. Put the cooled apple filling in the pastry-lined pan.

Roll out the second disc of dough and drape it over the apples. Press bottom and top dough together to seal. Trim to a ½-half-inch overhang and flute the edges. Brush with the egg-water mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for about 50 minutes, until crust is golden.

Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Brush the top crust with the sugar-water mixture. Bake until the syrup caramelizes, about 7 minutes.

Cran-Apple Pie

CRUST:

8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut in small pieces

1 cup flour

2 tablespoons sugar

Pinch of salt

TOPPING:

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut in small pieces

½ cup flour

1/3 cup light-brown sugar

FILLING:

¼ cup fresh or frozen cranberries

4 or 5 apples, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped

¼ cup sugar

Pinch of salt

For the crust: Combine crust ingredients in a bowl and mix together with fingertips, breaking up butter until mixture has the texture of coarse bread crumbs. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons cold water to bind, and form into a patty. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Roll pastry into a circle and fit into a 9-inch pie pan. Crimp edges.

For the topping: While dough chills, combine butter and flour with fingertips until mixture is pea-size. Stir in brown sugar, allowing some lumps to remain. Set aside.

For the filling: Combine filling ingredients and mix well. Transfer to pie shell. Sprinkle topping over filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes, until pastry is golden and fruit is tender. Cool before serving.

Yield: Serves 6.

Apple Pandowdy Pie

2 rolled-out pie dough discs (homemade)

6 large, tart apples (Jonathan or Empire)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

¾ cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut in small pieces

1 tablespoons granulated sugar

Line a 9-inch pie pan with one dough round. Trim edges, leaving 1½ to 2 inches of overhang.

Peel apples and cut in halves lengthwise. Core and cut into ½-half-inch-thick slices. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. Toss to coat evenly.

In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Sprinkle over apples and toss to distribute. Pile into the dough-lined pan. Dot with the butter.

Trim the second dough round to a 9-inch circle. Drape over filling. Fold bottom pastry edge up and over the top pastry edge, pleating dough loosely around the edge. Chill until dough is firm, 20 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake pie in the lower third of the oven until dough is set, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and use a small, sharp knife to cut the top crust in a crisscross pattern into 1-inch squares. With a metal spatula, press the squares into the apples. Sprinkle with the 1 tablespoon sugar. Continue baking for 30 to 40 minutes, until crust is golden and apples are tender. Cool 30 minutes on a wire rack before serving.

Rustic Puff Apple Tartlets

1 17-ounce package frozen puff pastry, thawed

8 large baking apples (3½ to 4 pounds total), such as Jonathan or Jonagold

Juice of ½ lemon

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

1 large egg

Vanilla ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream

Caramel sauce, warmed (optional)

On a lightly floured surface, gently roll a sheet of puff pastry into a 12-inch square. Using a sharp knife or a pizza wheel, cut the dough into 4 (6-inch) squares. Cut off the corners of each square so that they are rounded. Repeat with the second sheet of dough. Cover the rounds with plastic wrap; stack them in the refrigerator.

Peel, core and quarter the apples, squeezing the lemon juice over them to prevent browning. In a heavy 10-inch, nonstick skillet, melt the butter over low heat. Add ¾ cup sugar; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture turns a pale golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. (The butter may separate.) Don’t let mixture darken.

Immediately remove the skillet from the heat. Arrange the apple quarters, standing on end, in concentric circles in the skillet. (It may help to use a wooden spoon to support the first apple in the line until you get them all in.) It will seem crowded, but slip the last slices straight down between the apples in the center. They will shrink as they cook.

Place the apples over high heat. Cook undisturbed for 10 to 12 minutes or until the undersides are golden and soft, but not so soft that they disintegrate. The mixture will boil and bubble.

Remove from heat. Using a fork, spoon or the tip of a paring knife, flip each apple quarter so that the caramelized end is pointing up. (The easiest way to maneuver the apples is to flip each slice so that it’s facing the opposite direction). Cook for 5 minutes more over medium-high heat.

Line a baking sheet with waxed or parchment paper; turn the apples out onto the sheet. Gently separate them and let cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cluster 4 apple quarters in the center of each round of dough. Fold the borders of the dough over the apples, pinching and pleating it, leaving an opening in the center. Place the tarts on an ungreased heavy baking sheet.

Beat egg with 1 teaspoon water. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the dough with the egg mixture. Sprinkle the tarts with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Place the baking sheet on a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream. Drizzle with caramel sauce.

Yield: 8 tartlets.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving (without ice cream or whipped cream): 542 calories, 25 grams fat (8 grams saturated), 42 percent of calories from fat, 42 milligrams cholesterol, 5 grams protein, 77 grams carbohydrates; 43 grams sugar, 6 grams fiber, 182 milligrams sodium, 11 milligrams calcium, 204 milligrams potassium.

Note: You can cut and refrigerate the puff pastry rounds up to 1 day ahead. Assemble the tarts and refrigerate for up to 6 hours before baking. Bake the tarts up to 1 hour before serving.

Deep-Dish Apple Strudel Pie

FOR APPLE FILLING:

8 cups of apples — peeled, cored and sliced ½-inch-thick (about 8 large apples)

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

FOR PASTRY TOPPING:

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

6 phyllo pastry sheets, thawed if frozen

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

To prepare filling: Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Put the apples in a 2- to 2½-quart baking dish. (An 8- or 9-inch square baking dish or a 9½- to 10-inch pie pan works well.) Mix in the sugar, melted butter and lemon juice. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring once. Stir in cinnamon. Let cool to lukewarm, about 30 minutes.

To prepare pastry topping: Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Stack the phyllo sheets and, using the rim of the baking container as a guide, use a sharp knife or scissors to cut 6 pieces. Discard the scraps. Cover the stack of phyllo with a clean, damp dish towel.

Press 1 piece of phyllo pastry gently over the apples. Brush lightly with melted butter; sprinkle evenly with about 2 teaspoons cinnamon-sugar. Repeat the layering with the remaining sheets of phyllo, ending with the melted butter and a sprinkling of cinnamon-sugar.

Bake about 30 minutes, until the pastry topping is light brown. Cut through the pastry topping with a knife, then use a large spoon to serve the warm pie. Shallow bowls make nice serving dishes, and vanilla ice cream is a good accompaniment. This pie is best served warm the day it is baked.

Yield: Serves 6.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 272 calories, 9 grams fat (5 grams saturated), 30 percent of calories from fat), 21 milligrams cholesterol, 2 grams protein, 47 grams carbohydrates, 32 grams sugar, 3.5 grams fiber, 93 milligrams sodium, 13 milligrams calcium, 170 milligrams potassium.

Apple Galette

Purchased or homemade pastry for single-crust pie (see recipe)

2 pounds (5 medium) Golden Delicious apples

¼ cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, cut into pieces

2 tablespoons apricot jam, melted

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, with a floured rolling pin, roll dough into a 15-inch round. Transfer to a large cookie sheet.

Peel apples. Cut each in half; remove cores. Cut crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices. Arrange slices in concentric circles on dough, leaving a 1½-inch border. Sprinkle apples with sugar; dot with butter. Fold dough up around slices, leaving the middle uncovered.

Place 2 sheets of foil under the cookie sheet; crimp edges to form a rim to catch any overflow during baking. Bake 45 minutes or until apples are tender. Place cookie sheet on wire rack. Brush apples with jam. Cool slightly to serve warm.

Yield: Serves 8.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 415 calories, 21 grams fat (11 grams saturated) 46 percent of calories from fat), 39 milligrams cholesterol, 4 grams protein, 54 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 295 milligrams sodium.

Dutch Apple Pie

Purchased or homemade pastry for single-crust pie (see recipe)

FOR APPLE FILLING:

2½ pounds (about 5 medium) Granny Smith or Jonathan apples

2 pounds (about 4 medium) McIntosh or Golden Delicious apples

¼ cup granulated sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

¾ cup golden raisins

½ cup heavy cream

FOR STREUSEL TOPPING::

1¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon cornmeal

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

To prepare pie shell: Prepare as directed, baking the crust until deep golden brown. Remove the baked crust from the oven; set the oven temperature to 425 degrees.

To prepare apple filling: Meanwhile, peel, quarter, and core the apples; slice each quarter crosswise into pieces ¼-inch thick. Toss the apples, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Heat the butter in a large Dutch oven over high heat until foaming subsides; add the apples, tossing to coat. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until the apples are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in raisins; cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until the Granny Smith apple slices are tender and the McIntosh apple slices are beginning to break down, about 5 minutes longer.

Set a large colander over a large bowl; transfer the cooked apples to the colander. Shake the colander and toss the apples to drain off as much juice as possible. Return the drained juice to the Dutch oven; add cream. Bring to a boil over high heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and a wooden spoon leaves a trail in the mixture, about 5 minutes. Transfer the apples to the baked pie shell; pour the reduced juice mixture over. Smooth with a rubber spatula.

To prepare streusel topping: Combine flour, sugars and cornmeal in a medium bowl; drizzle with melted butter and toss with a fork until evenly moistened and the mixture forms many large chunks with pea-sized pieces mixed throughout. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; spread the streusel in an even layer on the paper.

Bake the streusel until golden brown, about 5 minutes; set the baking sheet with the streusel on a wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the pie filling. Set the pie plate on the baking sheet; bake until the streusel topping is deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack to room temperature and serve.

Yield: 8 servings.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 590 calories, 25 grams fat (13 grams saturated), 38 percent of calories from fat, 55 milligrams cholesterol, 4 grams protein, 92 grams carbohydrates, 60 grams sugar, 8 grams fiber, 154 milligrams sodium, 46 milligrams calcium, 400 milligrams potassium.

Old-Fashioned Apple Pie

CRUST:

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling

½ cup finely ground blanched almonds or almond flour (can substitute ½ cup flour if you don’t have almonds)

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes, chilled in freezer for at least 15 minutes

1 teaspoon salt

1 heaping teaspoon brown sugar

3 to 6 tablespoons water, very cold

FILLING:

2/3 cup sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon cinnamon

3 pounds of ¼ to ½-inch thick slices of peeled and cored good cooking apples such as Granny Smith, Pippin, Golden Delicious (see cooking apple varieties)

1½ tablespoons brandy

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

EGG WASH:

1 large egg yolk

1 tablespoon cream

In a food processor, combine flour, almonds, salt and brown sugar. Pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse 6 to 8 times, until mixture resembles coarse meal, with pea-size pieces of butter. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing until mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it’s ready. If not, add a little more water and pulse again.

Remove dough from machine and place on a clean surface. Carefully shape into 2 discs. Do not overknead the dough. You still should be able to see little bits of butter in the dough. These bits of butter are what will allow the result crust to be flaky. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 375 degrees.

Combine sugar, flour and spices in large bowl. Use your hands and mix in the apples so they are well coated, then add brandy and vanilla extract.

Remove one crust disk from the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle some flour on top of the disk. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch circle; about 1/8 of an inch thick. As you roll out the dough, use a metal spatula to check if the dough is sticking to the surface below. Add a few sprinkles of flour if necessary to keep the dough from sticking. Gently fold in half. Place on to a 9-inch pie plate, lining up the fold with the center of the pan. Gently unfold and press down to line the pie dish with the dough.

Spoon in the apple filling, mounding slightly in center.

Roll out second disk of dough, as before. Gently turn over onto the top of the apples in the pie. Pinch top and bottom of dough rounds firmly together. Trim excess dough with kitchen shears, leaving a ¾-inch overhang. Fold dough under itself so that the edge of the fold is flush with the edge of the pan. Flute edges using thumb and forefinger or press with a fork.

Stir yolk and cream in small bowl to blend. Brush over top of pie. Cut slits in top crust to allow steam to escape. Bake pie until crust begins to turn golden, about 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees. Tent the rims with aluminum foil or a pie protector if the edges are browning too quickly. Bake until crust is golden and juices are bubbling, anywhere from an additional 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the type of apples you are using. Transfer to rack; let stand 1 hour. Serve pie warm or at room temperature.

Yield: Serves 8.

Traditional Apple Pie

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

¾ cup shortening (recommended: Crisco)

Ice water

Filling (recipe follow)

Serving suggestion: warm with vanilla ice-cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium-mixing bowl, cut the shortening and salt into the flour by hand or with a pastry blender hands until it’s the texture of cornmeal. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of ice water over the mixture and mix just until the dough is moistened. Repeat by adding 6 to 8 tablespoons water (1 at a time) until all the dough is just moist. Take care not to over mix.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Divide the dough in half and roll into a ball. Roll 1 ball into a circle to fit a 9- to 10-inch pie plate. To transfer the pastry to the pie plate, wrap it around a rolling pin and ease it into the pie plate. Be careful not to stretch the pastry. Trim it even with the edges of the pie plate. Add the apple filling into the pastry lined pie plate. Make sure they are laying flat. Cut butter into small pieces and put on top of the filling.

Roll the remaining pastry into a 12-inch circle. Place on top of the filling. Trim off 1 inch beyond the edge of the pie plate. Crimp the edges as desired. Cut slits to allow steam to escape when baking. Sprinkle a little sugar and cinnamon over the pie.

Cover the edges with foil to prevent over browning. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until it is golden brown. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

FILLING:

½ cup to 1 cup all-purpose flour

6 to 7 cups apples cut into thin slices (recommended: Green Golden and Jonathans)

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter

In a medium bowl combine the apples, with the brown and white sugar. Add flour, cinnamon and continue mixing until they are well coated.

Yield: Serves 6.

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