Info
- Cook time: 1 hour
- Total time: 5 hours
- Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 stick cold salted butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 cup ice water
Filling
- 1 pound McIntosh apples, peeled and chopped
- 1 pound Fuji apples, peeled and chopped
- 1 pound Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 cup sugar
- Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, cut into small pieces
Meringue
- 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/3 cup sugar
Instructions
1. Prepare the crust
Use the large holes of a box grater to shred the butter onto wax paper, then freeze it until it is very hard—at least 20 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine the flour and sugar. Add the frozen butter and stir with a fork. Pour in the ice water and knead the mixture into a rough, shaggy ball. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and flatten it into a disk with a rolling pin. Fold the disk in half from left to right, then fold it again from top to bottom. Roll it into a 12-inch round, dusting with flour as needed. Fit the round into a 9-inch pie plate and press it gently against the pan. Crimp the edges to form a tall rim that will contain the apple juices. Refrigerate the crust until firm—at least 2 hours, or up to 1 day.
2. Make the filling
Set oven racks in the middle and lower third of the oven. Place a foil-lined baking sheet on the lower rack to catch drips, and preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, toss the apples with the sugar, lemon zest and juice, and pie spice. Sprinkle the flour over the top and toss again to combine. Spoon the filling into the chilled pie shell and pack it gently and evenly with your hands. Dot the surface with the butter. Cover the filling with a round of parchment paper and press it down to adhere.
3. Bake the pie
Bake on the middle rack until the apples are tender and bubbling and the crust is browned, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove the pie from the oven and let it stand while you make the meringue; the pie should still be hot when you add the topping. Keep the oven on.
4. Whip the meringue
Using a mixer on medium speed, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks just begin to form, 1 to 2 minutes. Raise the speed to medium high and gradually beat in the sugar until the meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks, 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Top and finish
Spread the meringue over the hot pie filling, bringing it all the way to the crust, and create swoops with the back of a spoon. Bake until the meringue is lightly browned in spots, 5 to 7 minutes; do not overbake. Transfer the pie to a rack and let it cool completely.
