Martha Stewart Brown-Butter Apple Pie

Martha Stewart brown-butter apple pie turns Granny Smith apples, nutty brown butter and vanilla bean into a flaky double-crust pie ready in 10 hours including cooling. Save this easy dessert for Thanksgiving, Christmas or fall potlucks, because it can be baked a day ahead and stored at room temperature.

Brown the butter until it turns golden and smells nutty, because that is where the rich flavor of the filling comes from. Pull it too early and the pie tastes like plain sweet apples.

Martha stirs vanilla bean seeds and flour right into the apples with the brown butter, so the filling turns thick and sticky instead of watery. She also freezes the assembled pie for 30 minutes before baking, which keeps the crust flaky and the edges crimped.

Martha Stewart Brown-Butter Apple Pie

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Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

1

hour 

Cooking time

1

hour 

35

minutes

Calories

520

kcal

Tender spiced apples sit in a buttery, nutty filling under a golden crust with a crunchy sugar top. Baking on the lowest rack browns the bottom crust well, and a long cool lets the juices set so slices hold their shape.

Ingredients

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
  

• 3 pounds Granny Smith apples (6 to 7), peeled, cored, and cut into eighths
  

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
  

• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
  

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  

• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
  

• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
  

• Double-Crust Pie Dough
  

• Water, for brushing
  

• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  

• Coarse sanding sugar, for sprinkling
  

Directions

• Brown the butter: Melt 1/2 stick unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, swirling the pan now and then. Cook about 8 minutes until golden brown and fragrant, then let it cool.
• Prep the apples: Toss 3 pounds peeled, cored Granny Smith apples, cut into eighths, with 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a large bowl. Then stir together 1/4 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar and the seeds of 1 vanilla bean in another bowl.
• Mix the filling: Pour the cooled brown butter over the apples and mix well. Then stir in the flour mixture until every slice is coated.
• Roll the crusts: Roll 1 disk of double-crust pie dough to just under 1/4 inch thick on a floured surface and fit it into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Then roll the second disk into a 13-inch round.
• Assemble and freeze: Pile the apples into the shell, brush the edges with water and cover with the top crust. Trim to a 1-inch overhang, fold it over the bottom crust and crimp, then cut steam vents and freeze the pie for 30 minutes.
• Egg wash and first bake: While the pie freezes, preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the lowest position. Then brush the pie with beaten egg, sprinkle with coarse sanding sugar and bake it on the lowest rack for 15 minutes, with a foil-lined baking sheet on the oven floor to catch drips.
• Lower the heat: Reduce the oven to 375°F and bake the pie for about 1 hour. It is ready for the next step when the crust is well browned.
• Tent and cool: Tent the pie with foil and bake about 20 minutes more, until the filling bubbles through the vents. Then cool it completely on a wire rack for at least 6 hours so the filling sets.

Tools for this recipe

• Pyrex 9.5-inch glass pie plate, J.K. Adams French rolling pin, Cuisinart MultiClad Pro 3-quart saucepan, Madagascar vanilla beans, grade A, 10 pods. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I make brown butter apple pie ahead of time?

Yes, the pie keeps well when baked a day ahead and stored at room temperature. It needs at least 6 hours to cool anyway, so baking it the morning of or the day before works best.

Can I make the pie dough in advance?

You can freeze the dough for up to 3 months and thaw it overnight in the fridge. Rolled-out dough also holds for up to 8 hours before you assemble the pie.

What can I use instead of Granny Smith apples?

Any firm, tart baking apple like Honeycrisp or Braeburn works, since they hold their shape in the oven. I would skip soft apples like Red Delicious because they turn mushy.

What if I don't have a vanilla bean?

Use 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste instead. You lose the tiny flecks, but the flavor stays rich and warm.

Why does the pie need to cool for 6 hours?

The filling is still liquid when it comes out of the oven, so cutting early lets the juices run everywhere. Six hours on a wire rack lets it thicken so each slice holds together.