Recipe: Maida Heatter's Free-Form Apple Pie (with freezing instructions)

MAIDA HEATTER'S FREE-FORM APPLE PIE

FOR THE PASTRY:
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter (no substitutes), cut up
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
FOR THE FILLING:
1/4 cup butter (no substitutes)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon brandy, cognac or water
3 to 3 1/3 pounds (6 to 7 large) Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into eighths
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
FOR THE GLAZE:
1/2 cup apricot preserves

TO PREPARE THE PASTRY:
Combine flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add water, tossing with a fork, until pastry holds together. Shape pastry into a ball; flatten into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

TO PREPARE THE FILLING:
Melt butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Increase heat to high; add sugar and brandy. Stir in apples; cover and cook 3 minutes, stirring apples twice. Uncover; add raisins and cook, stirring, 6 minutes, until apples are tender and liquid evaporates. Cool apples completely. Stir in walnuts.

TO PREPARE THE PIE:
Heat oven to 425 degrees F.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry into a 14-inch circle. Transfer pastry to a large cookie sheet. Arrange apples on pastry, leaving about a 2-inch border. Fold edge of pastry over apples. (The pie, now, should be about 9 inches in diameter.)

Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees and bake 30 minutes more, until crust is golden brown.

TO GLAZE THE PIE:
Melt preserves in small saucepan over medium heat. Strain preserves through a sieve into a cup.

Drizzle glaze over pie. Cool on a cookie sheet. Transfer to serving platter when cool.

TO FREEZE AHEAD:
The baked pie can be made ahead. Transfer pie to a foil-lined baking sheet. Freeze 1 hour until firm, then wrap well and freeze up to 1 week. Unwrap pie. Thaw at room temperature 1 1/4 hours. Reheat in a 350 degree F oven 20 minutes.) Serve pie warm.

Makes 8 servings
Source: Maida Heatter's Best Dessert Book Ever by Maida Heatter