The pie wears a golden, flaky crust, decorated with crust cut-outs shaped like the Empire State Building. The filling peeks between the cut-outs, revealing juicy spiced apples in a glossy caramel-like sauce.

Empire State Apple Pie

Name: Empire State Apple Pie
Prep time: 90 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 150 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: Granny Smith Apples, 8 peeled, cored and thinly sliced; Lemon Juice, 1 1/2 tablespoons; Granulated sugar, 3/4 cup; Brown sugar, 1/4 cup; All-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons; Ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon; Nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated; Salt, 1/4 teaspoon; Unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons cut into small pieces; Egg, 1 lightly beaten; Demerara sugar, 2 tablespoons; All-purpose flour for pie crust, 2 1/2 cups; Granulated sugar for pie crust, 1 tablespoon; Salt for pie crust, 1 teaspoon; Unsalted butter for pie crust, 2 sticks cold and cut into cubes; Ice Water, 4-6 tablespoons

Category Dessert

Prep 90 minutes

Cook 60 minutes

Style American

Technique Baking

Diet Friendly Vegetarian

Daily Recipe: January 23, 2025

This National Pie Day, let's celebrate with an iconic and visually stunning dessert - the Empire State Apple Pie. It's essentially a classic apple pie embellished with a tribute to New York’s most iconic landmark, using fresh and seasonal apples as the star of the show. The pie crust is made from scratch, ensuring a crispy and buttery perfection.

Ingredients (for 6)

Granny smith apples - 8 - peeled, cored and thinly sliced
Lemon juice - 1 1/2 tablespoons
Granulated sugar - 3/4 cup
Brown sugar - 1/4 cup
All-purpose flour - 2 tablespoons
Ground cinnamon - 1/2 teaspoon
Nutmeg - 1/4 teaspoon - freshly grated
Salt - 1/4 teaspoon
Unsalted butter - 2 tablespoons - cut into small pieces
Egg - 1 - lightly beaten
Demerara sugar - 2 tablespoons
All-purpose flour for pie crust - 2 1/2 cups
Granulated sugar for pie crust - 1 tablespoon
Salt for pie crust - 1 teaspoon
Unsalted butter for pie crust - 2 sticks - cold and cut into cubes
Ice water - 4-6 tablespoons

Preparation

Step 1 - 🥣🧈🍞

Mix flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Rub in cold butter until it resembles breadcrumbs. Gradually add water until dough forms. Split into two disks, wrap each in cling film, and chill for at least one hour.
Step 2 - 🔥🌡️🕓

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
Step 3 - 🍏🍋🧂

In a large bowl, coat apples evenly with lemon juice. In a different bowl, mix granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Sprinkle this over the apples and toss well to coat.
Step 4 - 🥧🍏🧈

Roll out one dough disk on a floured surface. Line your pie dish with it and fill in the apple mixture. Dot with butter.
Step 5 - 🔪🏢🥧

Roll out the second pie dough. Cut out Empire State Building shapes using a knife or a cookie cutter. Arrange these uniformly on top of the pie, creating a lattice effect.
Step 6 - 🥚🥣🍬

Brush the top crust with the beaten egg and sprinkle with Demerara sugar.
Step 7 - 🔥⏲️🥧

Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the crust is golden and the apple filling is bubbling.
Step 8 - ⏲️🔪🥧

Allow the pie to cool before slicing and serving.

Additional

Get creative with your pie crust decorations! You can do the NYC skyline, apple shapes, or any symbol you associate with New York. Keep in mind, the more detailed your design, the longer it might take. For a vegan version, use plant-based butter and a flax-egg for the crust.