Apple Pie Consistency

[ABardole]

Hey yall!
How's it goin? First off, this is my first post with DC. I have been baking pies for years, and finally made a pie crust which was edible! But my apple pies have been lacking recently. The consistancy is either too runny or too thick if i add too much flour. Also what is your recommendations for the type of apples to use? What about the cut (sliced thin? cubed?) I'm sure my answer is that I probably need to practice some more. Thanks for the help!!

Alex B.

 

[Selkie]

I like a mix of Golden Delicious (just a personal preference) and Granny Smith. I find Granny Smith too tart to use alone, but they have a nice texture and a tartness to offset other apples that can be too sweet.

I prefer sliced wedges, about 3/4" at the skin side. This thickness seems to nicely match my baking time. Actually, I use an apple slicer tool (8 wedge slices, not 6) that gives me a 3/4" wedge.

For a thickener sauce, I use two slightly rounded tablespoons of flour, sprinkled evenly over the top.

Are you remembering to dot the top with butter? I use 5 pats of butter evenly spaced (one in the center and four around.) This will also help thicken your sauce and give it a smooth flavor. Using salted butter adds just enough salt that I don't add any separately.

I hope this helps!

 

[ABardole]

I have been forgetting the butter. How long you cook your pie?

 

[Selkie]

I bake it at 425 F for the first 10 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 350 F and continue baking for 1 additional hour.

After 30 minutes into the 350 F baking period, I check the edge of the crust, and if it's beginning to look darker then the top crust, I use a "pie shield" (a silicone ring that protects the edge from over cooking/burning. Strips of aluminum foil around the edge can do the same thing.

 

[Selkie]

By the way, welcome to DC!!!

I really like baking pies too!!! I'm not very experienced with cakes, but I do like baking bread, pizza and pies!! (Rhubarb, apple, peach and Dutch Apple, and all of the berries are my favorites. I'm not too keen on cream pies. They seem to put more weight on me than the others!!

 

[2belucile]

Sometimes when I make apple pies, I shift the sugar with 2 tbsp. flour, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground ginger.
The apples are sliced and I mix the sugar with the apples just before putting them in the bottom crust. And I love putting in a lot of raisins. Dot with butter and cover with the top crust.
Thats the way my family likes it.

 

[Alix]

The amount of flour you use will depend on the type of apples you use. The juicier the apple the more flour needed. I've consistently forgotten the butter in my pies and its unnoticeable to anyone but me. I also cut the wedges as Selkie does. I prefer a chunky pie. I use about 1/3 - 1/2 cup flour in a pie made with either Grannys or apples from my friends tree. They are mega juicy! I also use about 1C of brown sugar and just a sniff of cinnamon. Toss it til its nice and gloopy and drop it in your pie shell. Delish!

 

[ABardole]

Thanks! I have been baking pies for years too, and my specialties are pumpkin, pecan, and blueberry.

 

[Oldvine]

I'm a little weird with apple pie. I slice my apples fairly thick, saute them in some butter until tender then add sugar and cinnamon and allow to carmelize and thicken. I roll out the crust, place on a cookie sheet, cut into wedges, leave in place, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, then bake (just like Grandma used to bake the scraps). When serving, pile the apples on a wedge, add another wedge of crust, drizzle with caramel sauce. It's sort of a de-constructed apple pie. The crust is always crispy.