Dutch Apple Pie | Winkel 43 Cafe Inspired Recipe
Equipment
Electric hand mixer or Food processor, Large mixing bowl, Large dutch oven or Casserole dish, Springform pan, Parchment paper
YIELD:
16 servings
ACTIVE COOKING TIME:
1 hour and 5 minutes
TOTAL TIME:
4-6 hours
Section 1: Ingredients
Crust
1 ½ cups (360g) unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
1 ⅓ cups (240g) dark brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
5 cups (600g) self-rising flour
Filling
6 firm apples (i.e. Royal gala, Braeburn, Honeycrisp), peeled and cored
2 soft apples (i.e: Cortland, Golden Delicious, Cripps Pink), peeled and cored
Zest of half of an orange
Zest from half of a lemon
Juice from half of a lemon
⅓ cup (71g) dark brown sugar
2 tsp. speculaaskruiden (dutch spice mix)
2 tsp. corn starch
Speculaaskruiden (Dutch Spice Mix)
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground cloves
½ tsp. ground mace
¼ tsp. ground ginger
⅛ tsp. (or a pinch of) white pepper
⅛ tsp. (or a pinch of) ground cardamom
⅛ tsp.(or a pinch of) ground coriander seeds
⅛ tsp. (or a pinch of) ground anise seeds
⅛ tsp. (or a pinch of) grated nutmeg
Whipped Cream
1 cup (240g) heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1-2 tbsp. powdered sugar, or to taste
Section 2: Directions
Crust
Using an electric hand mixer or food processor, mix the butter and brown sugar in a bowl until creamed. Then, add the eggs and mix until well combined.
Next, add the flour in thirds, mixing well after each addition and stopping to scrape the sides and bottom edge of the bowl, as necessary. After the last addition of flour, mix just until the dough forms a ball. Put dough in a bowl, cover, and set aside at room temperature.
Adjust the oven rack to the lower middle slot and preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
Thoroughly grease a 9-inch springform pan, and cut out a circle of parchment paper to place in the bottom of the pan (Note: Do not use a standard pie dish, it's way too small for this pie.).
Filling
In a small bowl, mix the orange and lemon zests, lemon juice, brown sugar, spices, and cornstarch. Stir to combine.
Cut apples into roughly-uniform bite-sized pieces and place them in a large dutch oven or deep casserole dish.
Mix apple chunks with sugar-spice mixture and stir well to combine. Bake the apples for 20 minutes at 375°F. Par-baking the apples allows them to reach ideal softness at the same time as the crust and prevents it from overcooking.
Assembly
While the apples are par-baking, press about ⅔ of the dough into the prepared springform pan. Don’t worry about neatness, just press the dough firmly so that it stays in place and ensure there aren’t any cracks or holes.
Once apples are done pre-baking, carefully add the apples to the pan with the crust and flatten out the top.
Grab handfuls of the remaining dough, press them into disks between your hands, and lay them across the top of the pie, eventually tiling the entire top of the pie with a top crust. Try to avoid putting the dough too close to the edges as it will puff up and over the edge a bit while it cooks. You should end up with between ¼-inch and ½-inch of top crust.
Place your springform pan on a sheet tray to catch any overflow and bake for about 45 minutes and until the crust is golden brown and the apples are softened to your liking (use a paring knife to test). If you prefer your apples softer (akin to a more traditional apple pie), bake the pie a bit longer (about 10 minutes), keeping a close eye on the crust. Tint loosely with foil to prevent the top of the pie from getting too dark.
Once the apples and crust are to your desired level of doneness, remove the pie from the oven and place on a wire rack, leaving the ring latched on, until completely cool, at least 3-4 hours.
Optional: While the pie is cooling, put a large mixing bowl and beaters for the whipped cream in the freezer.
Whipped Cream
When the pie is completely cool and are about to be served, pour heavy whipping cream in a large bowl.
Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3-4 minutes. Medium peaks are between soft or loose peaks and stiff peaks and are the perfect consistency for topping and piping on desserts.
Beware not to over-whip as you risk having your cream start to clump and become into butter.
Use immediately or cover tightly and chill in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
To serve: Once the pie is completely cool, you can release the sides of the pan. Slide one hand under the bottom of the pan and lift the pie up out of the collar, rather than trying to rip the sides up over the top edge. Use a thin spatula or two to transfer the pie from the pan base to a cutting board, removing the parchment paper as well. use a serrated bread knife to cut slices. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream and coffee!
Storage and Leftovers
Keep cooled leftovers in an airtight container for up to three to five days in the fridge or two days at room temperature.
To reheat pie, preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly cover pie with foil and heat for 15-20 minutes or until warmed through.