Apple pie is as close to a universal American dessert as exists — tart apples, warm spice, a flaky crust, and just enough sugar to let the fruit shine. Mary Ringlein’s recipe earns its name with a few deliberate choices: tart apples that hold their shape, a flour-thickened filling, and a hot 400° oven that crisps the crust before the filling can make it soggy. The sugar sprinkled on top before baking caramelizes into something better than frosting. Serve warm.
Ingredients
6–7 tart apples, pared and sliced thin
¾–1 c sugar
2 Tbsp flour
½–1 tsp cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg
Dash of salt
Pastry for a 2-crust 9-inch pie
2 Tbsp butter
Additional sugar, for sprinkling on top crust
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Pare the apples and slice thin.
In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add the sliced apples and toss to coat.
Line a 9-inch pie plate with the bottom pastry crust.
Fill with the apple mixture. Dot the top of the filling with butter.
Adjust the top crust over the filling. Trim and flute the edges to seal.
Sprinkle the top crust with sugar for sparkle.
Bake at 400°F for 50 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling.
