Giving Thanks with a Homemade Maple Apple Pie

It is that time of year again in America, where we start preparing all of the wonderful fall delights that accompany the Thanksgiving Feast, every 4th Thursday of November. This year things have been quite different and I’ve found myself cooking even more than before (not a bad thing) but also in awe at how fast 9 months in a quarantine lifestyle goes. It’s been one of the most tumultuous years by far and not easy by any means, but I still force myself to look at the brighter side of things because I’m thankful we still have our health, jobs, and a place to sleep at night.

This year we haven’t been able to travel due to borders being closed, see family, take a vacation, plan our wedding and so many other things that I could go on about, but I’m choosing to remove my focus on what we didn’t do and put it on what we did and what we have learned. I’ve learned a great deal about patience and taking a step back from my always full to-do list and accepting that it is “OK” not to finish everything. Yep, it is completely okay to adjust and move things around and give yourself a bit of grace when things don’t get done. We are only human and life needs to be enjoyed without always checking all the boxes. This patience has also pushed me to embrace “dolce far niente” – the Italian art of doing nothing. There has always been a distinct pleasantry about being in Italy and feeling more relaxed, even when we cram our days traveling around to see friends and family for more than 2 aperitivi. It’s a beautiful thing and my soul is always more calm after a period of complete dolce far niente.

This Thanksgiving, we will be virtually with friends that we call family while attempting our second turkey EVER with patience and gratitude in mind. Perhaps that turkey will make it up here on the blog since Roberto always puts an Italian twist on things.

But with great turkey and responsibility, comes the need to a great dolce to end the feast and that’s where my homemade maple apple pie can be the last course to enjoy this holiday.

Ingredients for the crust:

• 225g cold butter (burro freddo)
• 440g flour (farino 00)
• 100g cold water (acqua giacchiata)
• 1 small pinch of salt (pizzico di sale)

Ingredients for the filling:

• 4 medium/large apples – I used honey crisp, but usually a tart apple is best (4 medie o grandi mele)
• 1.5 cups of water (354g di acqua)
• 1/2 cup pure natural maple syrup (170 g di sciroppo d’acero naturale)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (2 cucchiaini di vaniglia)
• 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (4 cucchiaini di succo di limone)
• 3/4 cup white sugar (150g di zucchero)
• 2/3 cup corn starch (80 grammi di amido di mais)
• 1 pinch salt (1 pizzico di sale)
• 2-3 teaspoons of cinnamon *I added more because I love cinnamon (2-3 cucchiaini di cannella)
• 1 pinch nutmeg (1 pizzico di noce moscata)

Preparation for the crust:

• In a mixer, combine your flour, cold butter and pinch of salt. On a low speed incorporate the cold water little by little
• Once you obtain a rough mixture, transfer the dough to a wooden board and knead by hand for 8-10 minutes.
• Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in the fridge for 20 minutes while you prep your filling.
• After 20 minutes, bring the dough back to a lightly floured wooden board and cut 2/3 of the dough for rolling.
• Roll into a circle that is about 25 centimeters in diameter.
• Place the round piece of dough into a buttered pie glass or ceramic dish.
• Add your apple pie filling.
• Roll out the other 1/3 piece of dough and lay on top. Start pinching the corners and be sure to cut a few holes in the top for ventilation.
• If you want to be more decorative like I did, you can make little strips of dough using a knife or a pasta cutter. Feel free to be creative here!
• Before you put the pie in the oven, brush the crust with milk.
• To bake, start the oven at 392 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 20 minutes, brush with milk again and lower the temperature to 356 degrees F (180 degrees C) for another 20 minutes. Lastly, brush the crush once more with milk and lower the temperature to 338 degrees F (170 degrees C) for the last 20 minutes.
• Once you’ve achieved a golden brown crust, turn off the oven and let the pie sit inside to cool.

Preparation for the filling:

• Peel and slice your apples very thinly.
• Toss the apples in a bowl with the lemon juice and set aside.
• In a saucepan, combine your water, maple syrup, vanilla, sugar, corn starch, cinnamon and nutmeg over a low flame and whisk until everything is combined.
• Raise the temperature to a medium high heat while consistently whisking until the mixture thickens, sugar dissolves and turns clear.
• Fold in the apple slices and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and let the mixture stand for at least 15 minutes until you transfer it to your prepared pie crust.

Once your pie has cooled a bit in the oven, you can cut it up and add fresh panna (whipped cream) on top and serve immediately. The warmth of the apples paired with the pure maple syrup is a perfect match and will not only compliment the end of your Thanksgiving meal, but can be had for colazione (breakfast) or an afternoon snack with a fresh espresso. I hope you enjoy this recipe and most importantly find and share gratitude with others this holiday season.

Buon appetito!