Originally published November 2010
There's all this talk of turkey and Thanksgiving, and I figured it would be cruel to not share a recipe for the best apple pie I've ever made, and eaten for that matter.
Until this recipe, I enjoyed making apple pie more than eating it. The sweet scent of apples filling the house as the pie baked, and the staring through the oven door window to spy if the juices are golden and bubbly were always the best part.
Don't get me wrong, all my variations have been winners with friends. It's just apple pie never rocked my world. One reason is I don't like cinnamon with apples. I know, a classic pairing. Flavors pastry chefs deem worth marrying over and over again. To that I say "eh".
So, when I set out to make an apple pie last weekend, I was determined to make one I finally liked. One I'd want to go for seconds on. That means there's nary a pinch of cinnamon in this recipe.
In fact, there are no spices. I prefer to highlight the intense flavor of roasted apples, which is really what apple pie is, albeit wrapped in a buttery pastry crust.
How did the brown butter come into play? I wish I could pinpoint the moment. Maybe it was all my caramel making that had my mind filled with toasty, toffee-like thoughts.
I figured instead of putting dabs of butter under the top crust, why not make a browned butter to stir into the filling. I just took a chance, and held my breath until the first bite, six hours later. Tempting as warm pie is, you really must let it cool properly so the juices thicken and don't immediately fall out into a pool with the first cut. It was well after dark by time we dug in, so sadly there are no photos. You'll just have to trust me on this one.
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