Isn’t that a pretty looking pie? Let me tell you, though, about that filling. For me, apple pie is all about the filling – and this is my favorite recipe yet. Because:

• It’s not runny,
• It’s not dry,
• It doesn’t contain flour or cornstarch,
• It tastes like apples (and not just cinnamon), and (perhaps most importantly)
• it doesn’t shrink!

The secret? Pre-cooking the filling. Here’s how:

Rocking Not-Runny Apple Pie Filling

7 to 8 medium large apples. I like to use a combination of Fuji and Gala. Peeled, cored, and sliced around 1/4 inch.
3 tablespoons butter, unsalted
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons simple syrup (or you can use Calvados or rum)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground all-spice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt

In a large skillet, melt the three tablespoons of butter and cook until sizzling. Add the apples, and toss so you cover them well with the butter. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until softened slightly- around 5 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine sugar, syrup (or alcohol), cinnamon, all-spice, nutmeg, and salt. Mix well. Add to the apples in the skillet, and increase the heat. Cook until the juices are thick- this happens quickly, so I’d say around two to three minutes.

Use in your favorite pie-crust.