Apple Blossom Pie

Granny smith apples soaked in meyer lemon juice, sugar, rosewater, and bitters. 2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon granulated sugar ½ pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces 1 cup cold water ¼ cup cider vinegar 1 cup ice You will need to add 4 to 6 tablespoons ice water-vinegar mixture for a single crust recipe, and 10 to 12 tablespoons total for a double recipe. Stir the flour, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the butter pieces and coat with the flour mixture using a bench scraper or spatula. With a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flourmixture, working quickly until mostly pea-size pieces of butter remain (a few larger pieces are okay; be careful not to overblend). Combine the water, cider vinegar, and ice in a large measuring cup or small bowl. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the ice water mixture over the flour mixture, and mix and cut it in with a bench scraper or spatula until it is fully incorporated. Add more of the ice water mixture, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, using the bench scraper or your hands (or both) to mix until the dough comes together in a ball, with some dry bits remaining. Squeeze and pinch with your fingertips to bring all the dough together, sprinkling dry bits with more small drops of the ice water mixture, if necessary, to combine. Shape the dough into a flat disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight, to give the crust time to mellow. If making the double-crustversion, divide the dough in half before shaping each portion into flat discs. Wrapped tightly, the dough can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for 1 month. Apple Rose Pie Juice of 2 lemons 6 to 7 baking apples (about 6 cups sliced) ⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon ground allspice ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon Pinch ground white pepper ½ teaspoon kosher salt 3 tablespoons rose water Dash Angostura bitters Egg wash (1 large egg whisked with 1 teaspoon water and a pinch of salt) Demerara sugar, for finishing This pie can also be made with a combination of apples and pears. Have ready and refrigerated one pastry-lined 9-inch pie pan and pastry round or lattice to top (see here and here). Pour the lemon juice into a large bowl. Prepare the apples using an apple-peeling machine, or core, peel, and thinly slice them with a sharp knife or on a mandoline. Dredge the apple slices in the lemon juice. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar. Set aside to soften slightly and release some of the juices, 20 to 30 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ⅓ cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, allspice, cinnamon, white pepper, and salt. Drain any excess liquid from the apples, and toss the apples with the sugar mixture. Sprinkle with the rose water and bitters. Tightly layer the apples in the prepared pie shell so that there are minimal gaps, mounding the apples slightly higher in the center. Arrange the pastry round or lattice on top of the pie, and crimp the edges as desired (see here and here). Chill the pie in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes to set the pastry. Meanwhile, position the oven racks in the bottom and center positions, place a rimmed baking sheet on the bottom rack, and preheat the oven to 425 ° F. Brush the pastry with the egg wash to coat, and sprinkle with the desired amount of demerara sugar. Place the pie on the rimmed baking sheet on the lowest rack of the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pastry is set and beginning to brown. Lower the oven temperature to 375 ° F, move the pie to the center oven rack, and continue to bake until the pastry is a deep golden brown and the juices are bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes longer. Test the apples for doneness with a skewer or sharp knife; they should be tender and offer just the slightest resistance. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack, 2 to 3 hours. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. The pie will keep refrigerated for 3 days or at room temperature for 2 days.