First Fall Dessert of the Season: Apple Pie Slab

I am a big fan of apple pie and I always look forward to fall because it's the best season for apples. My Mom recently found a recipe for Apple Slab in her King Arthur Flour catalogue and we figured it was worth a try. It turned out great and I think it's just as good as regular apple pie for several reasons.

1. It's easier to make!
2. The bottom crust cooks much more evenly than crust in a pie dish.
3. It serves more people than a traditional pie so it's great for holiday's and parties.

I usually use cortland apples for baking but they aren't available yet so I googled baking apples and it turns out that honey crisp and pink lady apples are also good for baking. Perfect because those are easy apples to find at the grocery store in late summer-early fall.

Recipe Adapted from King Arthur Flour's September 2013 bakers catalogue

Yield's 16 to 20 depending on serving size

Ingredients

CRUST

2 cups King Arthur Perfect Pastry Blend

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter

4 to 6 tablespoons ice water

Note: I was short on time so I went with my go-to store-bought pie crust, Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts. 

FILLING

6 cups peeled, cored, and sliced baking apples

(I used a combination of honey crisp and pink lady)

1/3 cup of sugar

1 tablespoon of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of nutmeg

4 tablespoons of cold, unsalted butter

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water (egg wash)

Directions

To make the crust: Combine the flour and salt. Slice the cold butter into pads and work into the crust with your hands. Add in the water one tablespoon at a time until the dough is cohesive. 

Divide the dough into two even pieces. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Take one piece of dough out of the fridge, and put it on a floured work surface. Roll it into a rectangle or oval (whichever shape you prefer).

Place the crust onto a cookie sheet that is layered with a piece of parchment paper. 

Get your apples cored, pealed and sliced and preheat your oven to 425F°

Spread the sliced apples on top of the crust. Sprinkle the cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar over the apples. Take the 4 tablespoons of butter, cut into small pieces,  and place on top of your apple filling.

Roll the remaining piece of dough into a rectangle or oval. Lay the top crust over the apples. Seal the edges of the two crusts as well as you can. Go back over the edges with the tines of a fork to complete the seal.

Slice the crust in 6 places to allow steam to escape. Brush the top of the slab with the egg wash.

Put the slab in the preheated 425°F oven, and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°F and bake for 12-14 more minutes, until golden brown. 

Let the slab cool for a bit before cutting into wedges to serve.