Apples and brandy are a surprisingly delicious combination. It’s sort of ‘hearth and home’ mix of sweet and tart from the apples, with ‘warming’ notes from the brandy, combined with a crust that both flaky and buttery. The end result is, in my opinion, an Autumn classic.
For added fall flare, consider pairing this with a Pumpkin Spice Caramel Latte, or a Pumpkin Spice Buttered Rum. For a super simple Homemade Pumpkin Spice, so that you can add the beloved flavor of fall to ‘everything,' It couldn’t be easier!
Below, we’ll cover all of the ingredients you’ll need for today’s apple brandy pie, along with notes and tips, and some key substitutions. I’ll also try to answer some of the most common pie-baking questions I’ve encountered.
Now, without further delay, let’s get to it.
Ingredient Checklist and Notes
- Apples. It’s said that best apples for baking are Granny Smith, and this is simply because they are so firm. So firm, in fact, that they will retain their shape and texture under almost any amount of baking. And that’s good thing, since no one wants a mushy pie. That said, this ideal baking texture comes at a price, and that price is sweetness, as Granny Smith apples are fairly tart. And that’s why Honey Crisp are generally considered the ‘next best’ apples for baking. Though not quite as firm as Granny Smith, they are markedly sweeter and are generally ‘firm enough’ for baking. So, which to use? The choice is truly a matter of preference. However, due note that sweetness can be altered with added sugar, but once a pie is ‘mushy,’ there’s no fixing it.
- Flour. All-purpose flour is probably best for today’s crust. Bread flour would result in a ‘hard’ and ‘dense’ crust, while baking flour would result in a crumbly crust that fails to keep its form through cooking.
- Butter. As usual, I highly recommend using unsalted butter for the purposes of today’s recipe.
- Sugar. Simple granulated sugar is what you’re looking for.
- Brown Sugar. I’m using dark brown sugar because it has more of that ‘molasses flavor’ that we’re looking for.
- Cinnamon. Ubiquitous and beloved, if ever one spice ‘tastes like Autumn,’ this is the one. Cinnamon gives the pie a nice warming and earthy flavor, and just a hint of background sweetness.
- Lemon Juice. As in all cases, fresher is better, so opt for fresh lemon juice if you happen to have some lemons on hand. Bottled will work fine, but I do suggest fresh.
- Lemon Zest. For an extra ‘hint’ of lemon flavor, just be sure to rinse the lemon before zesting.
Substitutions
- The Crust Itself. In all honesty, you can make a perfectly delicious homemade pit with a store-bought crust. As such, don’t feel pressured to go through the fuss of making the crust from scratch if you truly don’t want to.
- Butter. For crusts, there are several substitutes. First up is shortening, and this is probably the best. This substitutes at a one-to-one ratio. Next is Lard. Yes, lard. This is a tricky one, as flavor, texture, and moisture varies wildly from brand to brand depending on how the lard was sourced. Again, this substitutes at a one-to-one ratio. I would suggest adding in a few pinches of sugar, otherwise you’ll end up with a slightly savory crust. Finally, coconut oil, though I would strongly suggest using this in its ‘solid’ form, perhaps even chilling it in the fridge if necessary. In its solid form, coconut oil substitutes at a roughly one-to-one ratio.
- The Brandy. Rum, or your favorite whiskey, would work deliciously in this recipe in place of the brandy.
- Brown Sugar Substitutes. There are a couple of ‘okay’ substitutes. The best substitute is molasses. Simply mix a teaspoon of molasses with a quarter of a cup of white sugar, and use that in place of the brown sugar. The next best substitute is maple syrup. Mix a teaspoon of maple syrup mixed with a quarter of a cup of white sugar. In both cases, stir until combined, and then use that in place of the brown sugar. Coconut sugar is also a decent substitute for brown sugar. Use that at a one to one ratio.
Top Six Tips For Baking a Pie
- What apple to use, really? Rather than stressing over which apple is best, my advice is to use a combination of apples. Ideally a mix of firmer, though tarter, apples, along with some sweeter, yet softer, apples. Consider mixing Granny Smith and Honey Crisp, or Golden Delicious with Winesap, or McIntosh and Northern Spy.
- How long can I leave it out? Apple pie can be made eight hours ahead, and kept out, uncovered, at room temperature. Any longer than that, and it should be put in the fridge.
- Can I eat it right away? Yes and no. While you certainly ‘can’ slice into a freshly made apple pie right away, the pie should be allowed to ‘set’ for about an hour before cutting into it. This allows the ‘filling’ to congeal, and for excess moisture to soak into the apples.
- Top tip for making a good crust? Handle the dough as little as possible. Excess handling means excess air. Excess air means a firmer, dryer crust.
- Should I flour ‘everything?’ When rolling out the dough, it can be very tempting to go nuts flouring absolutely everything from the counter to your pin to your hands to the dough itself. Stop this. Yes, flouring the workspace a little helps the dough to keep from sticking and peeling, but use as little as possible to prevent adding excess flour to the dough.
- Vent, vent, vent. If you are getting fancy and placing a crust over the top of the pie, you must vent it. This means cutting slits into the top of the crust, usually with a decorative cutter, or sometimes simply with cut-outs. This allows steam from the filling to escape into the oven. If the steam can’t escape, it remains trapped in the pie, resulting in excess moisture.
Apple Brandy Pie
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
Ingredients
For Crust:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon icing sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 4 tablespoons shortening
- 4-5 tablespoons cold butter
- 1/2 cup ice cold water
For Apple Brandy Pie Filling:
- 4-5 baking apples, peeled, cored and sliced
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons Brandy or Calvados
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1 egg, beaten (for brushing the crust)
- Brown sugar (for sprinkling over the pie)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt and icing sugar for crust. Add the shortening and butter.
- Using a pastry blender, combine the flour and fat until a fine crumbly mixture forms. Add the ice water, 1/4 cup at a time, until a soft dough forms. Wrap with cling film and let the dough chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
- In the meantime, prepare your apple brandy pie filling.
- In a large bowl, toss your apple slices with the rest of the ingredients (excluding the egg). A slightly thick mixture should form. Cover the bowl and let your apples sit until the dough is ready to be shaped.
- Once the dough has chilled, turn it over to a well-floured surface. Roll the dough out until about 1/4-inch thick. Fit into a pie plate and trim the excess dough. I pressed the edges with a fork and then pricked the bottom in several places. Return the dough to the refrigerator for an additional 30 minutes.
- While the dough chills, prepare the dough strips for your lattice topping.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Blind bake your pie crust for 10- 12 minutes. Let cool slightly before filling.
- Fill the pie crust with the apples and proceed with your lattice design. **NOTE: I have included a lattice tutorial at the end of this post.
- Once finished, brush the lattice with a beaten egg and then sprinkle with some brown sugar.
- Place the pie on a baking sheet in case it bubbles over and in the oven. Bake until the edges and the top have a nice golden color to them, about 40-45 minutes.
Notes
Food52 has a great tutorial for a perfect lattice top.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
Comedy Plus says
I'll have mine with vanilla ice cream please.
Have a fabulous day Catherine. Big hugs. ♥♥♥
Ginny Hartzler says
It looks wonderful, I can almost smell it. Yes, apples are everywhere here now. Huge and shiny.
sue|theviewfromgreatisland says
What a great tutorial --- I spend every Christmas with a friend who is an absolute apple pie fanatic, I'll have to make this for him!
Louise says
Hi Tammy!
Apple are plentiful here in central PA too. However, a bushel of apples for $2.99 is unthinkable! I tried to bake that Ugle Apple Cake again yesterday which uses quite alot of apples. for some reason, once again, it just didn't work out. I'm giving up on that cake for a while which means "Time for Pie!
This pie sounds amazing and I really appreciate the tip for the crust:) The lattice topping is gorgeous, yea, I won't be doing that, lol...I love the addition of Brandy though. I'll have to keep it secret from Marion though. She swears she can taste the alcohol, lol...
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe, Tammy...I do have the makins' of frozen apples in the freezer for pie but, I can always save them and try this ASAP! (have you thought about freezing them for the future? It works really well:)
Thanks again, Tammy...Hi to Mom for me:)
Living the Gourmet says
Hi Louise! I have never though about freezing the apple slices. That's a fantastic idea! 😀
The lattice is not as difficult as you might think, I'm sure you would be able to pull it off ;D
Have a lovely afternoon and weekend!
xo
BrSpiritus says
Hmm, this looks wonderful! I'd like to try it with some Laird's Applejack. Thanks for going the extra mile to do a real lattice crust 🙂
Janet says
Love, love this recipe. Adding brandy to the pie is heaven! Thanks.
swathi says
Delicious I love this pie I need to try it, missing the warm slice of apple pie.
Heather @ My Sweet Mission says
Tammy, your apple brandy pie looks divine and is perfect for the holidays! Great step by step instructions too.
Have a nice weekend.
Heather
MySweetMission.net
Linda @ Roti n Rice says
Looks and sounds divine! Love the lattice top.
Zainab says
Oh my gosh!! Brandy and apples sounds soooo amazing together. I've been craving an apple pie the past week and now I know what my sunday will involve 🙂
Dottie Sauchelli Balin says
Dear Tammy, Oh My Goodness....I am coming right over..this one is a definite to make. Can't believe that the apples were $2.99 That is amazing. I don't blame you for making so many delicious foods with the apples. This one with the Brandy looks not only beautiful with the lattice work, but it must have some flavor. Love the tutorial for the lattice on the top of the pie. Fabulous job, and a yummy dessert! Thanks for sharing, you are the best! (besides your mom) Have a blessed Friday! Dottie 🙂
AnnMarie says
This sounds so festive and perfect for the holidays! I love these kind of recipes...thank you!
sandie says
I have a confession - I don't think i have ever had brandy - apple pie - yes.
Kathy says
An absolutely beautiful pie Tammy, and it sounds delicious, too! Your crust looks perfect!
Joanne T Ferguson says
G'day Thx for stopping by and sharing this at our #SayGdayParty Pinned
Please make sure to return if you haven't already to G'day to the hosts and someone at the party! Cheers!
Joanne @ What's On The List
Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life says
What a gorgeous pie!! It looks delicious! Thank you so much for sharing it with us at Foodie Fridays! Pinning! Looking forward to seeing what you share with us next week!
Miz Helen says
This is a beautiful pie and what a special treat for the holidays! Thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and hope you are having a great week.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Diane Balch says
Your crust looks amazing and I love the idea of brandy with apples. Pinned. Thanks for sharing this with us on Weekend Bites.
Krista @ Joyful Healthy Eats says
Theres nothing like a good old fashioned apple pie with a lattice topping.. this is gorgeous love the brandy addition!
[email protected] says
This apple pie looks amazingly good Catherine!
Melissa Falk says
This pie looks insanely delicious. I would eat this for lunch rather than dessert!
Ramona says
Looks delicious!
allie @ Through Her Looking Glass says
Definitely one of the prettiest apple pies I've ever seen! Love the lattice work and that slightly sweet crust. So delicious. My apple pie boys would love a forkful of this. I'm so grateful for the beautiful forecast this week, I stepped outside to put Hudson on the bus this morning and for the first time, it finally felt like spring. Hope! Have a beautiful day. XO
Shashi @ RunninSrilankan says
Oh my goodness! What a slice! This reminds me of those Costco apple pies - only, dear Catherine, I think your's is taller! I'm mesmerized and blown away!
Michelle | A Dish of Daily Life says
My kids are apple pie fanatics. Once apple season rolls around here, they can't get enough of it! Usually my mother in law makes the pies, but I think I'll surprise them this year!
DAVID J MYERS says
Tammy, Great looking apple pie! We've never used brandy or any adult beverage when making an apple pie. Thanks for making us think outside the box! Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
Natasha Mairs says
It's the perfect season to eat Apple pie and this one looks so amazing!! Love the sound of the brandy in it
Samantha Donnelly says
We have a lot of apples from our tree, and I do love finding new recipes to try out. This sounds amazing
Sarah Stockley says
This really does sound delicious. I love apple pie and the addition of the brandy just adds a new warming element to it.
Beth says
This is such an awesome idea. Apple pie is so comforting and warm in the fall. What could make it better? Oh, wait! Brandy! I love this.
Paula Richie says
I'm not familiar with brandy pie of any time; however, that Pumpkin Spice Caramel Latte is calling my name!
Yeah Lifestyle says
This looks extremely lush! My wedding anniversary is not too far and this would make the perfect dessert
Khushboo says
It looks really so yummy. I want to try this recipe with brandy too.