French Apple Pie
Submitted by bubble
French apple pie with vanilla custard filling, butter-sauteed Granny Smith apples, apricot preserves glaze, and a golden lattice crust. A bakery-level showpiece.
YIELD
1 piePREP
20 minCOOK
40 minREADY
60 minThis French apple pie is a three-layer production: vanilla custard on the bottom, butter-sautéed apples mounded on top, and a glossy apricot preserves glaze holding it all together under a lattice crust.
The custard filling is a quick stovetop pastry cream. Egg yolks tempered into a sugar-flour-milk base, finished with butter and vanilla, then cooled before it goes into the shell. It bakes into a silky layer beneath the fruit that sets this apart from every other apple pie out there.
The apples get a head start in a skillet with butter, sugar, and nutmeg. This pre-cook softens them just enough so they don’t shrink away from the crust during baking, and the nutmeg butter caramelizes slightly on the edges. Apricot preserves melted and brushed over the top add a glossy, tangy-sweet finish that keeps the fruit glistening.
The egg wash on the lattice (yolk plus water, brushed only on the strips) bakes to a deep, bakery-window gold.
Chef Tips
- Let the custard cool completely before spreading it in the pie shell. Hot custard will melt the butter in the pastry and make the bottom soggy.
- Use tart apples like Granny Smith. Sweet apples turn to mush against the rich custard and sweet apricot glaze.
- Bake on the lowest oven rack. The bottom heat crisps the crust directly, preventing the dreaded soggy bottom.
- Don’t brush the egg wash on the crimped edge, only the lattice strips. The edge browns faster and can burn if glazed.
Variations
- Swap apricot preserves for raspberry jam for a deeper, berry-toned glaze.
- Add a pinch of cardamom to the sautéed apples for a Scandinavian twist.
- Skip the lattice and top with a streusel crumble for a French-American hybrid.
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare crust and roll out 2/3rds of the pastry to form a 12 inch circle.
Use to line a 9 inch pie plate; refrigerate with rest of pastry.
Make filling: In small saucepan combine ⅓ cup sugar and the flour; mix well.
Stir in milk.
Bring to boiling, stirring; reduce heat; simmer, stirring until slightly thickened - 1 minute.
In a small bowl, beat 3 egg yolks slightly.
Beat in a little of hot mixture; pour back into saucepan, beating to mix well.
Stir in 1 tablespoon butter and the vanilla.
Turn into bowl to cool.
Core, pare, and slice apples; sprinkle with lemon juice.
In medium skillet, heat butter with sugar and nutmeg.
Add apple slices; sauté, stirring occasionally, until partially cooked - about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Heat apricot preserves just until melted.
Preheat oven to 425℉ (220℃).
Turn filling into pie shell, spreading evenly. Arrange apple slices on top, mounding slightly in center. Spread with apricot preserves. Roll out rest of pastry to form a 10-inch circle. With knife or pastry wheel, cut into 12 strips ½ inch wide. Slightly moisten rim of pie shell with cold water. Arrange 6 stips across filling; press ends to rim of pie shell, trimming off ends if necessary. Arrange rest of strips at right angle to first strips, to form a lattice. Bring overhang of pastry up over ends of strips; crimp edge. Mix yolk with a tablespoon of water; use to brush lattice strips, not edge. On lowest shelf of oven, bake 35 -40 minutes, or until pastry is golden. Cool. Serve slightly warm.
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