My mother’s 40-year old recipe is still the best apple pie in the whole world
It’s not a secret: the Dutch are good at making apple pie. A treat for a birthday party, a well-deserved snack with a glass of hot chocolate after a afternoon of shopping in the city, or just because it’s Saturday.
I have an amazing recipe that will make you want seconds. This is my mother’s classic Dutch apple pie. It’s got fruit in it, so that part is healthy. Don’t feel guilty if you have a piece, and another piece the next day.
Oh – we call it Dutch, even though it may be German, but that’s only a small detail.
Jump to RecipeFor the American readers of this blog: The Dutch pies don’t resemble the American apple pies. American pies have a thick, almost gloopy and pretty sweet filling. They’re covered completely with a roof made of dough, with typically a few cuts to let out moisture and steam while baking, or have a beautiful lattice. The crust is typically flaky and light.
The Dutch pie is different. The dough is tighter and heavier, and the apples – firm and tart – have sugar and raisins, and sometimes custard. Some have a streusel, a crumbly mix of flour, sugar and butter that crisps up a bit, or an open lattice. There are many famous apple pies, but the two that stick out are from Dutch super market Albert Heijn, and baker Dudok. The apple pie from Albert Heijn is both simple and tasty, and the pies from the bakery Dudok are incredible.
The Best One
But there is only one pie the best in the world, and that is the pie my mother bakes. When I was a kid, I was always asking for a slice of apple pie. Whenever we would go on a road trip, a Holiday, or have a celebration, my mother would go into the kitchen and make this pie. It is, in my opinion, the Best Apple Pie in the World. I would discourage anyone from arguing, because my mother. My mother’s pie is the open version, with a soft custard.
It’s pretty versatile. You can eat it fresh out of the oven, or straight from the fridge the next day. This pie is really good when it is warm: it is very sweet, silky and pretty overwhelming. Cold is a different story. The flavors are delicate and it is a meal in and if itself.
If you try this, I hope you like this as much as me and my family does. You don’t eat with ice cream, but with a thick, creamy creme chantilly, or sweetened whipped cream to the side. Chantilly bought from a can is fine, freshly made in a bowl is much, much better. Enjoy, and please save me a slice.
Dutch Apple Pie
Ingredients
The Dough
- 300 grams all-purpose flour
- 175 grams butter unsalted, cold, in pieces
- 150 grams white caster sugar
- 1 egg beaten
- Pinch of salt
The Filling
- 750 grams pealed and sliced apples tart (Granny Smith)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 100 grams raisins
- Lemon juice
The Custard
- 200 ml milk
- 40 grams sugar
- 3 eggs
Instructions
- Add the flour, the cold butter, the caster sugar, almost all of the beaten egg and the salt in a bowl. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut the butter in smaller pieces in the bowl.
- With a cold hand, quickly combine all ingredients into a cohesive dough, that doesn't crumble. Add a little bit of egg if the dough it too dry, but don't add too much.
- If the dough is getting too warm, the butter will melt: cool the dough during the kneading if necessary.
- Once combined, flatten the dough into a flat disk, and place the dough in a plastic bag or Saran wrap, and place in the fridge for about 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, peel the apples, remove the core and slice into slices about half or third of an inch thick. You want the slices to have a bit of bite when baked. Too thin, and they'll be too soft. Place in a bowl.
- Add a bit of lemon juice (to prevent browning of the apples), the sugar and cinnamon.
- For the custard, beat the 3 eggs, the milk and sugar together in a smooth mixture. Don't whisk too hard, you won't need bubbles.
- Get a 8 inch spring form pie ring, and grease liberally with butter. Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Flour your work space and roll out the dough to be about 2 inches wider than the diameter of the spring bake tin. Place the dough on the bottom, and press the sides up. You won't have to be careful: it is a heavy dough, with a lot of butter. Make sure the bottom and the slides have roughly the same thickness. Close any thin spots or thin areas to prevent spilling.
- Add the apple/raising mixture to the dough in the tin. Try and spread out the raisins as much as you can. Pour in the egg/milk mixture.
- Place in the preheated oven, and bake for about 60 minutes. It is a heavy pie with a lot of filling, and baking will take a while. The custard should have just set, and the dough should be golden brown.
- Let the cake cool for a few minutes and release from the tin. Eat immediately with creme chantilly, or cool completely and eat from the fridge. Reheat in a 350℉ oven for 10 minutes.