Fall is apple season and the best time for baking. Homemade apple pie is a classic treat you can enjoy year-round. It’s especially perfect for fall when you’re craving comforting dishes and desserts. Read on for tips and tricks on baking the apple pie of your dreams, with a little help from your Thermomix®.
Apple pie is known around the world. While every region has its own version, the key ingredients are similar. It’s mainly a delicious flaky crust, tender apples and your choice of spices - that give each type of pie its own special twist.
Why not experiment with different kinds of apple pie at home? Let Thermomix® be your baking assistant and create an apple pie of your choice. Flavor it with Chinese Five-Spice, cinnamon, nutmeg or lemon and enclose it in elegant puff pastry or in a simple shortcrust: the possibilities are endless.
Throughout the world you’ll find different types of apple pie. France for example is famous not only for its classic “tarte aux pommes”, a simple shortcrust holding thinly sliced apples, sometimes over a bed of apple compote, but also for its ‘tarte Tatin’, which is a rich upside-down tart with caramelized buttery apples.
The American version, with its tall layer of cinnamon-flavored apples sandwiched between two flaky crusts, is quite similar to Dutch apple pie. Recipes for Dutch apple pie date back to the Middle Ages and were baked in a typical Dutch oven. The filling had several spices, such as cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, clove and nutmeg. The Dutch also like to add lemon juice and use full-cream butter in the crust.
In England lard can be used for the pastry. British apple pie is traditionally served with double cream, or custard. In certain parts of Britain it’s common to incorporate cheese into the pie as well.
Don't leave Austria without having a piece of Apfelstrudel. Apfelstrudel is made with apple and raisins rolled in many thin layers of dough that is similar to the filo pastry that is often used in Turkey and Greece.
The best apples for baking hold their shape under heat and balance that sweet-tart flavor you’re looking for in apple pie. Types of apples that are great to use are Jonagold, Honeycrisp, Braeburn and Pink Lady.
Keep your pastry ingredients cold until ready to use. For the flakiest crust, use cold butter. Butter freezes very well. Have it ready in your freezer pre-cut in small cubes and you can make puff pastry at the drop of a hat.
If you’re new to baking pies and feel daunted by the process, there’s no need to worry. Thermomix® is your extra pair of hands in the kitchen! With Thermomix® at your side you can travel confidently through uncharted culinary territories. The built-in scale and Guided Cooking allow for precision without effort, so that mixing pastry becomes a no-brainer. Soon you’ll find yourself cheerfully whipping-up apple pies from home and around the world, for the delight of your admiring guests!
