Apple Slab Pie

There is nothing more American than apple pie, if you ask me. And as I write this, it is the day that the United States of America is welcoming its 46th President into office. I would be remiss to not acknowledge this historic day. No matter how you feel about politics, we have also voted our first female national leader into office, and that is something worth celebrating.

Politics aside, this pie makes me feel super happy and at home. I first made this pie for Thanksgiving, when we spent the day as a family of 5. It was very different from our usual celebration, but it was the responsible thing to do amidst the pandemic. Instead of spending the holiday with family and friends, we did a distant Friendsgiving with our neighbors and friends. We each left goodies on one another’s porches, and we got to sample what we were all having. It turned out to be a lot of fun! This pie was a hit!

So how do you make this pie??? Keep reading to find out!

For the crust. you’ll need:

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup whole wheat flour

• 1 tsp coarse Kosher salt

• 5 TBSP unsalted butter

• 5 TBSP shortening

• 6-8 TBSP ice water

For the filling, you’ll need:

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• ⅓ cup light brown sugar

• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour

• 2 TBSP lemon juice

• 2 tsp lemon zest

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp ground ginger

• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

• ⅛ tsp ground cloves

• 8 cups fuji apples, peeled and cut into ¼ inch thick slices (about 6-8 apples)

• 2 TBSP bourbon, optional

For the streusel topping, you’ll need:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• ½ cup rolled oats

• ⅔ cup light brown sugar

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt

• 4 TBSP unsalted butter

To make this pie:

• For the Crust: In the bowl of a food processor place all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and salt. Pulse 4-5 times, just to mix the dry ingredients. Place the butter and shortening in the food processor bowl, and pulse 4-5 times again. Add water, starting with just 6 TBSP, and pulse until it begins to come together (about 10 times). If needed, add more water, 1 TBSP at a time, until the mixture just comes together.

• Remove mixture from the bowl and form into a ball. Flatten slightly, and gently roll out the dough to about ½ inch thick. Working from left to right, fold ⅓ of the dough over, so that the remaining ⅓ is exposed and has not been folded. Fold that remaining ⅓ over the dough. Repeat the process starting from the top, then the bottom. Flatten slightly, and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

• Meanwhile, place all the filling ingredients into a large bowl, and toss to coat the apples. Next, place all streusel ingredients in a bowl and work with your fingers until it forms small pea-sized pieces.

• Once the crust has chilled, preheat the oven to 375°F. Remove the crust from the refrigerator and roll to a rectangle that is about 14X18 inches. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet, so that there is a bit of crust overhanging the edge. If there are spots where the crust overhangs more than ¼ inch, trim those edges and reserve for leaf cutouts.

• Place the filling into the pan, and spread evenly over the crust. Top evenly with the streusel topping. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is beginning to bubble through the streusel topping.

• Let cool for 20-30 minutes before cutting. Can also serve at room temperature.