CLASSIC APPLE PIE with Pure Vanilla Bean

This stunning apple pie is a timeless showstopper — golden, aromatic, and lovingly crafted from scratch. A buttery, flaky crust, delicately adorned with hand-cut leaves and a perfect lattice top, cradles a luscious filling of tender apples kissed with cinnamon, nutmeg, and the deep, floral warmth of Pure Vanilla Bean. Baked until bubbling and bronzed, this pie is pure comfort and elegance in one — best enjoyed warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of softly whipped cream.

RECIPE

Prep time: 10 hours (includes resting the filling overnight)
Bake time: 1 hour
Cool time: 2 hours
Category: dessert
Yield: 1 pie
Recipe by: Silvia Bifaro

Ingredients

For the Pie Crust: 

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar 
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cubed 
• 6-8 Tbsp ice water 
• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash) 

For the Apple Filling: 

• 6-7 medium apples, peeled and diced small 
• ¾ cup raw granulated sugar 
• ¼ cup dark sugar 
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour 
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch 
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon 
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg 
• ¼ tsp salt 
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice 
• 2 tsp Pure Vanilla Bean
• 2 Tbsp butter, cubed 

Instructions

Day before: 

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Add cold butter cubes and use a pastry cutter or your fingers to work the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining. 
2. Add ice water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing gently until the dough just comes together. Divide dough into two disks (one slightly larger), wrap in plastic, and refrigerate overnight. 
3. In a large bowl, toss diced apples with lemon juice. Add both sugars, flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and the Pure Vanilla Bean powder. Mix well to combine.
4. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight. This allows the apples to release their juices and the mixture to dry slightly, preventing a soggy bottom crust.

Assemble the pie:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Roll out the larger disk of dough and fit it into a 9-inch fluted tart pan, leaving overhang. Prick the bottom with a fork.
3. Roll out the remaining dough. Cut strips for the lattice pattern and weave the lattice over a piece of baking paper and freeze while you finish everything else.
4. Pour the chilled apple filling into the crust, you can dot it with a few butter cubes.
5. Use a cookie cutters to create decorative leaves.
6. Arrange the pastry lattice on top of the pie and add leaves around the edge slightly overlapping them.
7. Brush the entire top crust with beaten egg wash.

Bake:

1. Place pie on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes at 400°F, then reduce temperature to 350°F (175°C) and bake for an additional 35-40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. If the edges brown too quickly, cover with foil.
2. Let cool for at least 2 hours before slicing to allow the filling to set.
3. Serve warm or at room temperature, optionally with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. The pure vanilla bean adds a beautiful aromatic depth to the warm spiced apples!