Apple and Vanilla Bean Slab Pie

Recipe by Erin Clarkson from Cloudy Kitchen

PIE DOUGH 

Make this recipe twice in separate batches to give you two rectangles of dough.

• 360g All-purpose Flour
• Pinch of Salt
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 1 tsp Heilala Vanilla Bean Paste
• 230g Cold Unsalted Butter, Cut into Cubes
• 1 cup Ice
• 240g Cold Water
• 60g Apple Cider Vinegar

FILLING

• 1.5kg (3.3lbs) Apples, Peeled and Finely Sliced
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• 60g Flour
• 125g Raw Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Heilala Vanilla Bean Paste
• Egg Wash — 1 Egg Whisked with 1 tsp Water
• Raw Sugar or Vanilla Sugar for Sprinkling  

Pie Dough 

Place flour, salt, and sugar into a large bowl. Add the Heilala Vanilla Bean Pasteand rub through with your fingers. Mix to combine. Cut butter into chunks, and add to the flour. Toss lightly to coat. Working quickly, using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut the butter into the flour mixture until there are only pea-sized chunks left. You want a few lumps of butter remaining to keep the pastry nice and tender.

Combine ice, water and cider vinegar in a bowl. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of ice water into the flour and butter mixture, and using a stiff spatula or your hands, mix in well. Continue adding water a tablespoon at a time (I normally need about 1/2 to 3/4 cup, but add slowly) until you have a dough that holds together well, but is not too wet. Squeeze together with your fingertips to make a homogenous dough. Shape into a rectangle and wrap in plastic wrap. Let rest in the fridge overnight. 

Repeat the process to give you a second rectangle of dough — making a batch of dough that is too large can lead to issues with dough that is too dry or too wet because of the quantity of ingredients used. 

Filling and Assembly

Set aside a 9” x 13” (23cm x 23cm) baking pan or quarter sheet pan. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the first piece of dough to slightly larger than your sheet pan. You want it to be about 1/8(3mm) thick. 

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the second piece of dough (the rectangle) into a rough rectangle approximately 1/8(3mm) thick. Use a pastry cutter to cut strips for your lattice. If you would like to make a braid, roll a piece of pie dough into a long thin rectangle, cut thin strips, and braid. Place your strips and braids onto a parchment lined baking sheet and store in the fridge until ready to use. Press together the scraps and re-roll — these are good for extra lattice strips or for using pie stamps to cut out for the border.

In a large bowl, toss together the apple and lemon juice. Leave to sit for 5 minutes, then drain any excess liquid. Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a small bowl, then add to the apples along with the Heilala Vanilla Bean Paste and toss well to combine. Transfer the filling to the lined pie dish, packing the slices of apple in tightly. Remember that it will bake down a little, so it is ok for the pie to seem a bit full.

Arrange the strips of pie dough on the top of the pie, weaving into your desired lattice. If you are adding stamps, trim any overlapping pie dough and lattice strips so that they are flush with the edge of the pie dish, then glue on the stamps with a little egg wash. If you are crimping, trim the crust with a little overhang and then crimp as desired.

Rest the pie in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. While the pie is resting in the fridge, preheat the oven to 425°f/220°c. Place a baking tray on the bottom rack of the oven. 

Brush the pie with egg wash, and sprinkle liberally with raw sugar. Bake at 425°f/220°c for 20 minutes, or until the pastry is set and beginning to go golden. Reduce the temperature to 375°f/190°c, and bake until the pastry is deeply golden and the filling is bubbling, approximately 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream.