Best Ever Apple Pie

I made this pie with Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust and it was AWESOME! Easy and Delicious!

Best Ever Apple Pie from Country Home

We asked Country Home readers to send us their favorite original recipe for apple pie and tell us how it came to them. We read and sampled and surmised that the maple sugar- and cream-infused one from reader Vicki Ehrenberg Schlaerth was the winner. For the story behind the pie, read Vicki’s letter:

The secrets to my pie are the cream and maple sugar that give it a warm mellow flavor—it’s the perfect comfort food. The recipe is made up of parts of several “family” recipes, and the maple sugar was my own addition. I put it together two years ago after I discovered the fun of estate sales and purchased a tin recipe box filled with family recipes. I went home and spent an hour looking through the recipes—they all sounded so delicious. Since then, I have purchased every tin box I see, as long as it’s full of recipes.
—Vicki Ehrenberg Schlaerth, New York

Best-Ever Apple Pie Recipe
The winning recipe from our apple pie contest.

1 recipe Pastry for Double-Crust Pie*
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup maple sugar or packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
3 lb. tart cooking apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (8 cups)
2 Tbsp. butter, cut up
1/4 cup whipping cream
1–2 tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. raw sugar

1. Prepare pastry. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 pastry ball to a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate; set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl combine granulated sugar, maple sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Add apples; toss to coat. Transfer to pastry-lined pie plate. Dot with butter and pour whipping cream over filling. Trim edge of crust even with edge of pie plate.

3. On the lightly floured surface, roll out remaining pastry to a 12-inch circle. Cut an “x” or a design in the center of the pastry. Place pastry over filling in pie plate. Seal and crimp edges. Cut small slits in top of crust, if desired. Brush with milk and sprinkle with raw sugar. Place pie on a foil-lined baking sheet. To prevent overbrowning, cover pie edges with foil.

4. Bake in a 375° oven for 40 minutes. Remove foil from edges. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes more or until fruit is tender and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack. Makes 8 servings.

*Pastry for Double-Crust Pie: Place steel blade in food processor. Add 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 cup butter, cut up; 2 teaspoons granulated sugar; and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover; process with on/off turns until most of mixture resembles cornmeal but a few larger pieces remain. With processor running, quickly add 1/3 cup cold water through feed tube. Stop processor when all water is added; scrape sides. Process with 2 on/off turns. Remove from bowl; shape into a ball. Divide in half. If needed, wrap and chill until easy to handle. (Or, in a large bowl stir together 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in 1 cup butter until pieces are pea-size. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cold water over part of the flour mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to side of bowl. Repeat, using 1 tablespoon water at a time, using a total of 5 to 6 tablespoons water, until all the flour mixture is moistened. Shape into a ball.)