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.