Firm, tart Arkansas Black apples were born to be baked. This recipe is perfect for this variety, but any firm, flavorful apple can be used. You will only find Arkansas Black apples in season from local or mail-order growers. Try Kauffman Orchards or Frog Hollow Farms for genuine Arkansas Blacks.

Recipe

---

Ingredients

• Egg Wash
  • 2 tbsp. Granulated sugar (optional)
  • 1 tsp. Water
  • 1 Large egg
• Crust
  • 2 tbsp. Cold unsalted butter, diced
  • Double-Crust Pie Pastry
• Filling
  • 1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp. Ground allspice
  • 1/2 tsp. Freshly grated or ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp. Ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup All-purpose flour
  • 1 cup Granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp. Fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon) or apple cider vinegar
  • 6 Apples, peeled and thinly sliced

Assembly and Baking

• Step 1

Prepare the Apple Filling: Place apples and fresh lemon juice in a large bowl; toss well to coat. Stir together granulated sugar, flour, ground cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, ground allspice, and kosher salt in a bowl; add to apple mixture, and toss well to combine.

• Step 2

Prepare the Crust: Preheat oven to 425°F. Unwrap 1 chilled pie dough disk from Double-Crust Pie Pastry, and place on a lightly floured surface. Let stand at room temperature until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle dough with flour, and roll into a 12-inch circle. Carefully fit dough circle into a 9-inch deep-dish glass pie plate, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Spoon filling into prepared crust, packing lightly to fill the crust. Smooth out filling until even. (Do not mound in the center.) Sprinkle diced butter over apples.

• Step 3

Unwrap remaining chilled pie dough disk and place on a lightly floured surface. Let stand at room temperature until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle dough with flour, and roll into a 12-inch circle. Cut dough round into 10 (3/4-inch-wide) strips. Arrange strips in a lattice design over filling; trim strips to be even with the bottom crust’s 1-inch overhang. Fold dough edges under, and crimp. Place pie on a rimmed baking sheet.

• Step 4

Prepare the Egg Wash: Stir together large egg and water in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, brush egg mixture evenly over piecrust. Sprinkle granulated sugar over piecrust, if desired.

• Step 5

Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Loosely cover the pie with aluminum foil. Bake at 350°F until the crust is golden brown, the apples are tender, and the juices are bubbly, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, removing the foil for the last 10 minutes of baking to finish browning the crust. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and cool it completely for about 3 hours. Serve pie with Caramel Sauce and, if desired, ice cream.

Recipe adapted from http://www.cooker-king.com