Description
Apple slab pie features tender apples baked with warm spices inside a buttery crust. This large-format dessert is perfect for sharing at celebrations and get-togethers.
Ingredients
Scale
Fruit:
- 3.5 to 4 pounds apples
- 1 squeeze lemon juice
Seasonings and Thickeners:
- 0.67 to 0.75 cups sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 0.25 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 0.25 teaspoon ground allspice
- 0.125 teaspoon table salt
Crust:
- 3.75 cups all-purpose flour
- 12 ounces unsalted butter
- 0.75 cup very cold water
- 1.5 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1.5 teaspoons table salt
Finishing:
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Combine 3 ¾ cups flour, 1 ½ tbsp sugar, and 1 ½ tsp salt in a large mixing bowl. Slice 3 sticks of cold butter into small cubes and work them into the dry ingredients using your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs.
- Gradually pour ¾ cup very cold water into the flour mixture. Gently stir until the dough just comes together. Divide the dough into two portions, with one slightly larger. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Peel and chop 3 ½ pounds of apples into small pieces. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the apples to prevent browning.
- Mix ⅔ cup sugar, 3 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp allspice, and ⅛ tsp salt in a separate bowl. Toss the apple pieces in this spice mixture until they are evenly coated.
- Heat your oven to 375°F. Roll the larger dough portion into an 18×13-inch rectangle. Carefully transfer the dough to a parchment-lined jelly roll pan, allowing excess to hang over the sides.
- Spread the seasoned apple mixture evenly across the bottom crust, ensuring an even layer.
- Roll the second dough portion into a slightly smaller rectangle. Drape it over the apple filling. Trim the edges and crimp them together to seal. Cut 4-5 small slits in the top crust for steam release.
- Brush the entire top crust with 2 tbsp heavy cream. Place the pan on a baking sheet to catch any potential drips.
- Bake at 375°F for 40-50 minutes, until the crust turns golden brown and the filling starts bubbling. Remove from the oven and let the pie cool for 45 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Always use cold butter when making the pie crust to ensure a flaky, tender texture that crumbles perfectly when you slice into it.
- Let the apple filling sit for 15-20 minutes before assembling to help the cornstarch thicken and prevent a watery bottom crust.
- For a gluten-free version, swap the all-purpose flour with a reliable gluten-free flour blend and add a touch of xanthan gum to help bind the dough.
- When cutting slits in the top crust, make them decorative by creating a lattice pattern or simple geometric shapes to release steam and add visual appeal.
- Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40-50 minutes
- Category: Pies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 429 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 242 mg
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 54 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 43 mg