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Deepest Dish Apple Pie

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    This is actually a deep-bowl, rather than a deep-dish, pie. Eight pounds of apples are tossed with cinnamon, cardamom, and sugar and then piled into an ovenproof bowl, tucked under a blanket of pate brisee, and baked until bubbling. When the pie is served (with a spoon), a mound of crust and sweet fruit grace each plate. For savory contrast, serve with slices of cheddar cheese.
    Desserts 1998
    • Yield Serves 10
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    Ingredients

    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
    • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 14 Granny Smith apples (about 8 pounds), peeled, cored, and cut into eighths
    • 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • 6 tablespoons Calvados or brandy
    • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
    • All-purpose flour, for work surface
    • 1/2 recipe Pate Brisee
    • 1 large egg yolk
    • Cheddar cheese, for serving (optional)

    Directions

    1. Stir together sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom in a small bowl; set aside.
    2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add one-third each of the apples and the sugar mixture, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. Cook, stirring often, until apples are tender and liquid has thickened and caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Working carefully, as alcohol may ignite, stir in 2 tablespoons Calvados. Return to heat, and cook until alcohol burns off, 30 seconds. Add 3 tablespoons cream; cook, stirring constantly, until thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer apple mixture to a large bowl. Repeat with remaining apples, sugar mixture, vanilla, and Calvados, and 6 tablespoons cream, in 2 more batches.
    3. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface; roll into an 1/8-inch-thick round large enough to cover top of a 3-quart ovenproof bowl and extend 2 inches over edge. Using a 1/2-inch round pastry tip, punch out hole in center. Trim to create a scalloped edge.
    4. Transfer apple mixture to ovenproof bowl; drape pastry round over top, centering hole and letting edges of pastry hang over sides of bowl. Decorate top with cut-out shapes from leftover dough, if desired, using cold water to adhere.
    5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk together yolk and remaining tablespoon cream; brush over pie. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
    6. Bake pie until top is golden brown, 50 to 55 minutes. If top browns too quickly, loosely cover with foil. Let cool completely on a wire rack, 45 to 60 minutes. Serve with cheese, if desired.
    7. Cut several steam vents into crust. Brush surface with egg wash and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
    8. Bake pie until golden brown on top, about 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake another 45 to 50 minutes. Let stand about 30 minutes before serving.

      Note: To garnish the pie with candied apple peel, toss strips of apple peel with sugar and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Heat oven to 400 degrees, turn off, and place baking sheet in oven overnight.

    Recipe Reviews

    • blaukehlchen
      26 Sep, 2008

      Mariae78, thanks for the tips.

    • mariae78
      25 Sep, 2008

      It's actually really simple to remedy this problem. Just use the 51/2 pounds of apples and then add in the cardamom to taste with the sugar when you toss the apples. I would suggest 1/2 to 1 teaspoon as cardamom has a pretty distinct taste. Just use a bowl that leaves about a 1/4-1/2 inch from the top of the apples to the crust so that your crust cooks properly. Hope this helps.

    • blaukehlchen
      25 Sep, 2008

      Someone else mentioned the discrepancy between the 8 pounds of apples listed in the introductory paragraph and the 5 1/2 pounds listed in the ingredients.

      I want to know where the cardamom went--listed in intro., gone in ingredients.

      Sure, we can guess amounts; but it would be nice for all things like this to be sorted out before MS posts the recipe.

      Further, the intro recommends a deep bowl instead of deep dish pie pan. Sizes of containers would help here w/ apple lbs. being diff.

    • ontheisland
      25 Sep, 2008

      ok the blurb says "8 pounds of apples" the recipe says '5 1/2 pounds of apples".... big difference; which is correct?

    • ontheisland
      25 Sep, 2008

      ok the blurb says "8 pounds of apples" the recipe says '5 1/2 pounds of apples".... big difference; which is correct?

    • ontheisland
      25 Sep, 2008

      ok the blurb says "8 pounds of apples" the recipe says '5 1/2 pounds of apples".... big difference; which is correct?

    • ontheisland
      25 Sep, 2008

      ok the blurb says "8 pounds of apples" the recipe says '5 1/2 pounds of apples".... big difference; which is correct?

    • ontheisland
      25 Sep, 2008

      ok the blurb says "8 pounds of apples" the recipe says '5 1/2 pounds of apples".... big difference; which is correct?

    • ontheisland
      25 Sep, 2008

      ok the blurb says "8 pounds of apples" the recipe says '5 1/2 pounds of apples".... big difference; which is correct?

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