Apple Cranberry Pie Cooks Illustrated Recipes

APPLE CRANBERRY PIE

Steps:

• For the crust: Whisk the flour, sugar and salt together in a medium bowl. Using your fingers, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse cornmeal mixed with pea-sized bits of cold butter. (If the butter gets too soft, refrigerate the mixture for 10 minutes before proceeding.) Use a fork to stir in the egg and water mixture until the dough just comes together. (If the dough is dry, add up to 1 tablespoon more cold water.) Divide the dough into two equal-sized disks, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour.
• For the filling: Peel, halve and core the apples. Cut each half into 4 wedges and place in a bowl with the lemon juice and cranberries, tossing to combine. Add the sugar and toss again to combine evenly.
• Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the apple mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to simmer, about 2 minutes. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low, cooking until the apples soften and release most of their juices and the cranberries have burst, about 7 minutes.
• Strain the apple mixture into a colander set over the bowl, shaking it to collect as much of the juice as possible. Pour the liquid back into the skillet, add the cinnamon and ginger, and simmer over medium heat until thickened and lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes. Return the reduced juice and the apple mixture to the bowl and toss to recombine. Chill the filling until it cools completely, at least an hour and up to 2 days.
• To assemble the pie: On a lightly floured surface, roll each disk into an 11- to 12-inch circle. Lay each dough circle between two pieces of parchment or wax paper on a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes.
• Place a baking sheet on a rack positioned in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch pie dish with one of the dough discs and trim it to leave a 1/2-inch overhang on all sides. Stir the cornstarch into the filling and add it to the pan.
• Use a chef's knife, pizza cutter or fluted dough cutter to cut the second round into 1/2-inch thick strips. Lay strips of dough, evenly spaced, across the entire pie. Weave more strips of dough perpendicular through the previous strips to make a lattice or basket weave design across the entire pie. Trim the excess ends from the strips of dough. Pinch the bottom crust edge and lattice edge together, and flute the edge as desired. Brush the surface of the dough with egg and then sprinkle with sugar. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Bake the pie on the preheated baking sheet until the crust is golden, 50 to 60 minutes. If the edges begin to brown too fast, cover them with strips of aluminum foil. Let the pie cool 1 hour before serving. Once completely cooled, the pie keeps well at room temperature (covered) for 24 hours, or refrigerated for up to 4 days.

LAYERED APPLE CRANBERRY PIE

Steps:

• Bring cranberries, juice, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 tsp salt to boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Cook, stirring occasionally and pressing berries to the side of the pan with a spoon, until berries have completely broken down and juices have thickened to jam-like consistency, 10-12 minutes (a spoon scraped across bottom leaves a clear trail that does not fill in).
• Remove from heat, stir in water and cool to room temp, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large microwave safe bowl, combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp salt and the cornstarch; add apples and toss to combine.
• Microwave apples on high power, stirring every 3 minutes, until apples are just beginning to turn translucent at the edges and liquid is thick and glossy, 10-14 minutes. Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
• While fillings cool, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place a rimmed baking sheet on the rack and preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Line a 9-inch pie plate with one of your piecrusts. Transfer cranberry filling to crust lined pie plate and spread in an even layer. Place apple mixture on top of cranberry layer, mounding slightly in the center. Press down any sharp apple edges.
• Position second piecrust over apples, trim the overhang and flute the edges to seal. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with 1 TBSP sugar. With a sharp kife, cut (4) 1-inch slits in top of dough, forming a cross.
• Place pie on preheated baking sheet and bake until top is light golden brown, 20-25 minutes.
• Reduce oven temp to 375F, rotate baking sheet and continue to bake until crust is deep golden brown, 25-30 minutes longer.

CRANBERRY APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. On a lightly floured surface, roll one half of dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim even with rim. Refrigerate while preparing filling., In a large bowl, combine the sugar and next 6 ingredients. Add apples and cranberries; toss gently. Spoon filling into prepared pie plate; dot with butter., Roll remaining dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle. Place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edge. Cut slits in top. , Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°; bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 45-50 minutes longer.