LCBO Food & Drink Autumn 2019

The ultimate apple pie from page 121 THE ULTIMATE APPLE PIE A buttery, easy-to-make pastry is piled deep with apples and baked up in all its golden glory—as apple pie should be. The combina- tion of tart and sweet apples does add depth of apple flavour. My personal favourite (after many combo tests) is 2 Northern Spy, 2 Ida Red and 2 Fuji or Ambrosia. If you prefer a tart-flavoured filling, use all tart apples or decrease the sugar to 1/2 cup (125 mL). If you prefer a firmer texture in your apples and/or a lighter coloured pastry, bake for the lower end of the time range (though the bottom may not be as crisp). When testing for doneness, keep in mind the apples will continue to soften slightly as the pie cools. The apples will col- lapse on cooling so don’t be alarmed. Preheat the oven well to get the best kick-start for flaky well-cooked pastry. PASTRY 3/4 cup (175 mL) cold unsalted butter 1/4 cup (60 mL) cold shortening 2 1/4 cups (560 mL) all-purpose flour (measured by spoon and sweep method) plus extra for flouring 1 tbsp (15 mL) granulated sugar 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt 1/2 cup (125 mL) ice water (approx.) FILLING 2/3 cup (150 mL) granulated sugar 3 tbsp (45 mL) all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground cinnamon 1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) salt 2 tbsp (30 mL) fresh lemon juice 2 lbs (905 g) tart cooking apples, about 4 large (see page 123) 12 oz (340 g) sweet apples, about 2 medium (see page 123) TOPPING 2 tsp (10 mL) cream (any type) or milk

3 Drizzle in ice water while stirring with a fork. The dough should start to clump together. If it looks dry, stir in more water, about 1 tsp (5 mL) at a time, just until you can squeeze dough together with your hands. 4 Gather dough together with hands into a rough ball (do not squeeze or work too much). Divide dough in half. Shape and press each half into a thick disc. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or a resealable plastic bag and refriger- ate for at least 30 minutes, until chilled, or for up to 3 days. 5 Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C) with the rack in the lowest position. Place a rimmed baking sheet on the lowest rack to preheat (this helps crisp the bottom crust and catches drips). 6 Lightly flour a rolling mat or a large sheet of parchment paper and lightly flour a rolling pin. Roll out 1 disc of pastry, lifting and lightly flouring underneath, as necessary to prevent sticking, to a 14-inch (35-cm) circle. Transfer to a 9 1/2-inch (24-cm) deep-dish glass pie plate (see TIP 2 ), gently but neatly fitting into the bottom edge of plate and letting excess over- hang edge of pie plate. Trim edge with a sharp paring knife or scissors, leaving 1-inch (2.5-cm) overhang beyond the inside edge of the pie plate. Refrigerate while preparing filling. 7 For the filling, combine sugar, flour, cinna- mon and salt in a small bowl. 8 Place lemon juice in an extra-large bowl. Peel tart apples and cut into quarters. Trim out cores, then cut into thin slices, just under 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick. Add to the lemon juice, tossing gently to coat. Repeat with the sweet apples. Sprinkle sugar mixture over apples, gently tossing with a spatula to evenly coat. 9 About one-third at a time, pour apples into bottom pastry crust, then use your hand to gently pack the apples so they’re even and compact and slightly mounded in the pie plate. Set aside. 10  Roll out second disc of pastry to a 14-inch (35-cm) circle. If desired, cut out a decorative shape, such as an apple, from the centre of the circle, making sure it is no larger than 2 inches (5 cm). Reserve the cut-out shape. Brush edge of bottom crust with water. Roll up the circle of pastry around the rolling pin, then carefully unroll to drape over filled pie, centring the pastry over the filling. 11  Trim edge of top crust so that it extends about 1/4 inch (5 mm) beyond the edge of bottom crust. Reserve scraps for decorative shapes (or make a jam turnover for snacking on while the pie cools). To seal crusts, lift a small portion of both edges so they are almost vertical and fold the top crust over the bottom

crust making about a 3/4-inch (2-cm) fold, pinching together to seal and pressing to thin slightly, lifting to make a raised rim. Repeat all the way around the pie. 12  Use the forefinger and thumb of one hand to gently press the raised rim of pastry from the inside toward the outside, while bracing the rim with the other thumb (on the other side of the pastry) to create a fluted edge. Keep the fluted edge angled up and just inside the edge of the pie plate to reduce any spill- over during baking. 13  For the topping, brush the top crust with cream or milk, leaving the fluted edge bare (so it doesn’t get too brown too quickly). Place any decorative cut-outs on top crust and brush them with cream. With the tip of a paring knife, cut several small vents around top crust. Sprin- kle with sugar and/or cinnamon, if desired. (You can leave the top crust plain, if you prefer.) 14  Place the pie on the preheated baking sheet on lowest rack and bake for 25 minutes. Reduce oven to 375°F (190°C) and bake for 40 to 55 minutes longer or until apples are desired tenderness, filling is bubbling and thickened, and pastry is browned and crisp. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 4 hours until room temperature and set. Serves 8 TIP 1  If you prefer, instead of grating the fro- zen fat, you can cut butter and shortening into cubes and freeze for 10 minutes, then cut into flour mixture using a pastry blender, or use a food processor, pulsing or cutting until largest pieces of butter are the size of small peas. TIP 2  If using a dark metal pie plate, be sure it is at least 1 1/2 inches (3.5 cm) deep. The baking time will be in the lower range. A deep ceramic pie plate will bake in the upper end of the time range and may take a few minutes longer. MAPLE TOFFEE DRIZZLE This sweet, creamy syrup is reminiscent of the tire sur la neige enjoyed at a cabane à sucre in early spring and is a decadent garnish for autumn baking. Drizzle it warm over a slice of The Ultimate Apple Pie, a gingerbread cake or a bowl of ice cream.

Granulated sugar (optional) Ground cinnamon (optional)

1 Place butter and shortening on a freezer-safe plate and freeze for at least 30 minutes,

until firm, or for up to 1 day. 2 Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Grate frozen shortening on large holes of a cheese grater, then toss with a fork to coat fat pieces in flour. Repeat with half the butter, tossing to coat, then grate in remaining butter. Work gently into flour with fingers, just until pieces of fat are coated in flour and they start to look like dry large-flake oats (see TIP 1 ).

3/4 cup (175 mL) pure maple syrup 1/4 cup (60 mL) whipping cream 1 tbsp (15 mL) butter

1 Pour syrup into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat enough to maintain a steady boil and boil, stir- ring occasionally to knock down bubbles, for

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AUTUMN 2019 FOOD & DRINK