The holidays are approaching—and as much as we let ourselves get caught up in the shopping craze or family-packed frenzy, there’s nothing better than gathering together to make memories and savor the food you love.
With Thanksgiving around the corner, we reached out to our own community of family and friends with the hope of finding a cherished recipe to share. Straight from the kitchens of Rachel Pitman and her mom, Charlene Burrell, this duo didn’t disappoint—they delivered a delicious dish right to our doorstep (and now yours, too).
Rachel calls it “From-Scratch Apple Pie,” a recipe she’s been perfecting over the last eight years.
“I pay a lot of attention to the baking time to make sure I get the perfect crunch,” she says. “The crust is a great mix of dense and crispy. It doesn’t fall apart … but it melts in your mouth.”
Pro tip: she recommends serving it warm with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream.
Want to make this a new Thanksgiving tradition in your own home? Don’t forget the secret ingredient.
“Your mom can give you a recipe and no matter what you do, it just will not be the same,” Rachel says. “That’s where the love comes in; you can’t put that on a recipe card.”
A family secret no more, Rachel and Charlene are happy to let you claim this one as your own.
From-Scratch Apple Pie
Ingredients
- Crust:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/2 – 1 cup ice water
- Filling:
- 8 cups assorted baking apples (Granny Smith, Cortland, Jonathan), peeled and sliced (about 3 pounds)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon milk
Directions
Crust
- In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Be careful not to overwork the dough.
- Sprinkle ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, over flour mixture, tossing lightly with a fork until mixture comes together in a ball.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight. Cold dough is key!
- Remove chilled dough and divide in half. Return one half (rewrapped in plastic) to the refrigerator until you’re ready to roll it out.
- Place the first half of dough on a floured surface, rolling into a circle (12- to 14-inch round).
- Carefully fold in quarters, lift gently and unfold into 9-inch pie pan.
Filling
- In a large bowl, toss the apples with lemon juice.
- Combine sugars, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg; add to apples and toss well to coat.
- Fill pastry-lined pie pan with apple mixture. Dot with butter.
- Roll out second crust and place on top of pie filling; cut slits in the top crust to vent. Seal the edges of the crust with a fork or by hand.
- In a small bowl, beat the egg yolk and milk. Brush mixture over top.
- Bake at 425 F for 15 minutes.
- Reduce heat to 350 F and bake 40–45 minutes more, or until crust is golden and the filling is bubbly.
