Every October, a group of friends in Holderness, N.H., organizes a friendly
“Who Makes the Best Apple Pie?” party, said Barbara Lauterbach in Cooking Light. The contest is held in a restored Victorian farmhouse overlooking White Oak Pond. “The rules are explicit”: All entries must be anonymous, only plain Pyrex or aluminum plates can be used, and no nuts, raisins, or other fruit can be added. Invitations to the contest “are highly coveted,” and the guest list is limited to just 50. After tasting more than 15 entries, the judges this year awarded top honors to Susan Brackett for her crumb-topped pie. Brackett used Cortland apples, but any tart apple—such
as Pink Lady—will do.
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Recipe of the week
Susan Brackett’s First Prize Apple Pie
Crust
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6-3/4 oz)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp chilled butter, cut into small pieces
2 tbsp vegetable shortening
1 tsp vinegar
7 tbsp ice water
Filling
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
7 cups thinly sliced, peeled Pink Lady apple (about 7 medium)
Cooking spray
Topping
6 tbsp all-purpose flour (about 1-3/4 oz)
3 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp chilled butter
To prepare crust, lightly spoon 1-1/2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with knife. Combine 1-1/2 cups flour, 1/4 tsp salt, and baking powder in medium bowl; cut 2 tbsp butter and vegetable shortening with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle surface
with vinegar and ice water, 1 tbsp at a time, tossing with fork until dough is moist and crumbly (do not form ball). Gently press dough into 4-inch circle on 2 sheets of overlapping heavy-duty plastic wrap and cover with 2 additional sheets of overlapping plastic wrap. Roll dough, still covered, into 12-inch circle. Chill dough 30 minutes or until plastic wrap can be easily removed.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. To prepare filling, combine granulated sugar, 2 tbsp flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1/8 tsp salt in small bowl. Sprinkle sugar mixture over apple; toss well to coat. Remove top sheets of plastic wrap from dough circle; fit dough, plastic wrap side up, into 10-inch deep-dish pie plate coated with cooking spray, letting dough extend over edge of plate. Remove remaining plastic wrap. Fold edges under and flute. Spoon filling into crust. To prepare topping, combine 6 tbsp flour and
brown sugar in medium bowl. Cut in 3 tbsp butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle topping mixture over apple mixture. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees
(do not remove pie from oven); bake additional 40 minutes. Serves 10.
