UNCOMMON SOLUTIONS TO EVERYDAY PROBLEMS
THE SECRET TO THE
BEST APPLE PIE
Want to bake up a blue-ribbon pie? Use at
least two varieties of apples for balance in
flavor and texture, says Amy Traverso,
author of The Apple Lover’s Cookbook. Think
50 percent sweet, like Honeycrisp or Golden
Delicious, and 50 percent tart, like Granny
Smith or Cortland. If you have a local
farmers’ market, you may be able to find
specialty varieties, like the sweet Jonagold
or Crispin or the tart GoldRush or Liberty.
Before you buy, check for a fresh, fruity
aroma, says Traverso. No smell? The apple
could be mealy, which will leave your pie lack-
ing in flavor. Plan on four pounds of apples
for a deep-dish pie and three pounds for a
standard nine-inch pie, says Dawn Perry, Real
Simple’s food director. Contrary to what
many recipes suggest, bake your pie for
at least an hour, she adds. This will soften
firm apples and help create the perfect
golden crust on the top and bottom.
By Sierra Guardiola
Get our crispy and flaky piecrust
recipe at realsimple.com/pie.
Photograph by Ted + Chelsea Cavanaugh
PROP STYLING BY HEATHER GREENE FOR HELLO ARTISTS
SEPTEMBER 2019 REAL SIMPLE 37
