Star Studded Apple Pie

By msippigrl

July 4th is all about apple pie, hot dogs, and baseball! Impress your guests with this star studded version of the all American pie!

Ingredients

• 2 uncooked pastry pie crusts (I used a box of Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts)
• 8 small-medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons apple pie spice
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 large egg whisked with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash

Details

Servings 8
Preparation time 30mins
Cooking time 90mins

Preparation

Step 1

Place the peeled and sliced apples in a large mixing bowl then drizzle the lemon juice over them and toss together. Set aside.

Unroll one of the pie crusts; lightly flour the top of it and roll it out a into a 12" circle using a rolling pin. Roll the crust around the rolling pin, then unroll it into a 9" oven safe pie plate, centering it; then ease the dough into the dish without stretching or tearing it. Tuck the excess crust underneath itself and flute edges as desired. Leave the other unrolled pie crust on the counter while you make the filling.

FILLING:
In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, brown sugar, spice, salt, and flour. Add this mixture to the apples and toss to coat evenly. Let stand, stirring a time or two, for 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, move an oven rack to the highest position, then place an empty baking sheet on a lower rack (to catch any juice overflow). Preheat oven to 400°F.

Stir apples, then spoon them and the juices into the crust in the pie plate, mounding the apples slightly (they will shrink during cooking). Dot apples with the pieces of butter.

Unroll other crust and cut out stars with a small cookie cutter (1 - 1 1/2"); place stars on top of apples as desired. (If you prefer to not cut stars, place the other crust on top of the apples and seal edges to the bottom crust. Cut 4 slits in the top crust for vents.)

Whisk the egg with a tablespoon of water; brush the egg wash over the stars (or top crust).

Place pie on top rack of oven and bake about 1 hour, or until top is golden and juices are bubbling. Remove from oven and cool pie on a wire cooling rack.

Serve pie lukewarm or chilled with vanilla ice cream.