Variations on Apple Pie

My basic apple pie filling comes from the Four & Twenty Blackbirds cookbook.  I've used this filling in a lot of pies.  Here is a pie that uses it and one that does not.

 

The first pie I tried to do a cinnamon roll crust with my usual pie crust.  In the end, it tasted fine, but didn't have the texture I was hoping for.  If I were to try this again, I would buy some puff pastry and use that for the "cinnamon roll"ing on top.  I may try to work on this one some more though and see if I can find a way to make it from scratch to use in contests.

The second pie was one that Grant and I made at a cooking class that we went to at the Chopping Block during à la carte Chicago.  I made this one for my dad's birthday.  It was really good.  I used a lot more apples than we used in the class (they gave us three apples that were barely larger than crab apples) and it turned out a lot nicer.  Below are the ingredients and directions from the class, but I recommend using 2 or 3 decent sized apples.

 

Ingredients:

1 pound Granny Smith or golden delicious apples, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick 

1/3 cup granulated sugar 

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

Pinch salt 

1 egg 

1/3 cup granulated sugar 

1/4 cup all-purpose flour 

1/2 cup heavy cream 

3 tablespoons calvados or brandy 

Powdered sugar, for garnish 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°.
Roll the disk of dough out onto a floured surface into a 10- to 12-inch circle. There will be some overhang. Place in a tart pan with a removable bottom, cut away the excess dough and crimp the edges. Chill for 15 minutes in the refrigerator.
Cover the dough with parchment paper. Place either pie weights or dried beans on top of the parchment paper and bake the crust until light golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.
For the filling, toss the sliced apples with the sugar, cinnamon and salt. Artfully arrange the apple slices in the partially baked tart shell so they overlap in concentric circles.
Bake on a parchment-lined sheet tray for about 20 minutes, or until the apples are almost tender. Remove the tart from the oven and allow to cool a bit.
While the tart is cooling, prepare the custard. Whisk the egg and sugar together in a mediumsize bowl until thick, ribbony and pale yellow. Whisk in the flour, heavy cream and liquor. Pour the custard over the apples.
Return the tart to the oven and continue to bake until the custard is puffy and golden brown, about 25 minutes. When a knife is inserted into the center of the tart, it should come out clean. 8. Allow the tart to cool for about 10 minutes, cut into slices and serve garnished with a dusting of powdered sugar. Serve warm.

Piece out!
Justin