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Directions
1. Add the flours, salt, and sugar to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 1-2 times to mix well. Add the butter and pulse a few more times, until it forms a sandy-looking mixture.
2. Add the egg, vinegar, and water. Pulse until it forms a solid ball of dough.
3. Dump the ball of dough out onto a well-floured counter or smooth surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces, wrapping one of them to freeze if you’re only making a single-crust pie. Roll one disc of dough out into a circle large enough to fit your pie plate. Proceed with the directions for whichever pie recipe you are using.
Brown Butter Apple Pie
Makes one 9-inch pie
For the sweet butter pastry crust:
8 ounces all purpose flour
1 tablespoon (15 grams) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (5 grams) kosher salt
4 ounces cold butter, cut into 16 pieces
4 to 6 tablespoons ice cold water
For the pie filling:
4 tablespoons butter
6 medium apples (about 3 pounds), peeled, cored & thinly sliced
? cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Heavy cream, to brush on top
Coarse sugar, for sprinkling on top (optional)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425ºF.
2. To prepare the pie dough, add the flour, sugar, and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until it forms a sandy-looking texture. Starting with 4 tablespoons, sprinkle the water over the flour-butter mixture and pulse until it forms a ball, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Add another tablespoon or two of water if necessary. Dump onto an unfloured counter and divide into two flat discs. Wrap in plastic and let chill until firm, but still pliable, about 1 hour.
3. For the filling, melt butter over moderately high heat in a small skillet. Cook until it begins to brown, but not burn; it will smell nutty and fragrant. Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Add the apples, sugar, salt, and flour to a deep bowl; toss with a rubber spatula to coat well. Pour in the brown butter and lemon juice; stir well. Set aside while you roll out your piecrust.
4. On a lightly floured counter, roll out half of the pastry dough for your bottom crust. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Roll out the remaining dough for the top. Spoon the apple filling into the pie plate, and place second crust on top. Flute edges and cut a hole in top to create a steam vent. Brush with heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if using.
5. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn temperature down to 350ºF and bake for 35-40 minutes more, until top is golden and juices are bubbly.
Jennifer Perillo is a professional food writer who dishes out culinary advice for busy parents on her blog, InJenniesKitchen.com. In April, she released Homemade with Love: Simple Scratch Cooking from In Jennie’s Kitchen (Running Press, $27.50), in which she celebrates buying local, cooking from scratch, and sharing home-cooked meals with loved ones. Perillo lives with her two daughters in Brooklyn.
