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french apple pie

Easy French Apple Pie (Tarte aux Pommes)

This recipe creates a classic French apple pie with a buttery, flaky crust and a sweet, spiced apple filling. It's easier than you think!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert, Pie
Cuisine: American, French
Calories: 350

Ingredients
  

Crust Ingredients
  • 2.5 cups All-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted butter very cold and cubed
  • 0.5 cup Ice water
Filling Ingredients
  • 6-8 medium Apples (Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or mix) peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
  • 0.5 cup Granulated sugar
  • 0.25 cup Packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons All-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
  • 0.5 teaspoon Ground nutmeg
  • 0.25 teaspoon Salt
  • 2 tablespoons Lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon Unsalted butter cut into small pieces

Equipment

  • Mixing bowls
  • Pastry blender or fork
  • 9-inch pie plate
  • Rolling pin
  • Measuring cups and spoons

Method
 

Make the Crust
  1. Whisk together flour and salt in a large bowl.
  2. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Work quickly to keep the butter cold.
  3. Gradually add ice water, a tablespoon at a time, mixing lightly until the dough just comes together. Don't overmix.
  4. Form the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Make the Filling
  1. In a large bowl, combine the sliced apples, granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and lemon juice. Toss gently to coat.
Assemble and Bake
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
  2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of the chilled dough into a 12-inch circle. Carefully transfer to a 9-inch pie plate.
  3. Pour the apple filling into the pie crust. Dot with the small pieces of butter.
  4. Roll out the remaining dough and either place it over the filling or cut it into strips for a lattice top. Crimp the edges to seal. Cut slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.
  5. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. If the crust starts to brown too quickly, cover the edges with aluminum foil.
  6. Let cool completely on a wire rack before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

For a richer flavor, use a combination of apple varieties. You can also add a tablespoon of vanilla extract to the filling. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.