Super Apple Pie

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I do not know what grains of paradise is. Is it a seasoning? What does it taste like. I am used to cinnamon in apple pie. Can it be added to this recipe?

CAS from PA

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This was by far the best apple pie I have ever had. It was well worth buying an entire fifth of AppleJack.

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I've a bone to pick with Alton over the crust in this recipe. It is a pate briisee and he should have warned that this is a particularly difficult crust to roll out. I saw Julia Child work with this crust and she was so practical! You flour the top and bottom of the disc and roll out about an inch. Re-flour and turn the disc over and repeat the same procedure. Works like a charm! If you do not do this, you will end up with dough stuck to the waxed paper or parchment paper and "patching" crust, as several commenters have already mentioned. Aside from this, the pie is excellent and I liked it immensely! I did substitute apply brandy, which I had on hand, instead of applejack. The Grains of Paradise are essential and I used 1/2 teaspoon of them finely ground, but I may go to one full Teaspoon next time. One caveat: If your family is used to apple pie made with cinnamon, they may not enjoy this pie as much as others you have made. I thought it was fantastic without it and I particularly enjoyed the apples having a hint of a bite instead of being mushy. I used 4 Granny Smith and 4 Braeburn apples but could have used two more! The apples do settle! I also baked the pie on the lowest shelf of my electric oven for the entire time, as you cannot put it on the floor of an electric oven because of the heating element. This recipe is definitely worth the trouble!

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Thanks Alton! My family loves pies and I am not a big fan so do not make them often. I had a surplus of Honeycrunch and Spiztenburg Apples from our organic coop and so I agreed to make a pie. They LOVED this pie, packed with flavor, great crust with an amazing filling (perfect firmness of apples and no real excess liquid. We had a friend over for dessert and he also said it was the best apple pie he has ever had and cannot wait for me to make another one (ha ha. Although this pie does require some special (and not so inexpensive ingredients and a bit more time than most, it is worth it. The only addition I had was to add some Demerara Sugar to the top immediately after pulling from the oven, I will definitely make this pie again and for special events too. It is a WINNER!

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The best pie ever. I make it for my dad for Father's Day, my husband for his birthday...any special occasion. We love it. Thanks, Alton!

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This is by far the best pie I have ever had. At first I thought I would not be able to make this pie but it turned out and I fell in love! Best $100 I ever spent on one recipe!

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This pie is probably the best apple pie I've ever eaten..........and I've eaten some. Yes, the ingredients are a little on the "expensive" side - but you'll have them on hand for future pies, so you have to keep that in mind. Go to the trouble of finding the Grains of Paradise (and no, it is NOT pepper - it only 'resembles' pepper in the fact that it is little round kernels that have to be ground, like whole peppercorns, but with an ENTIRELY different flavor. But WOW! Does it ever add something to this pie! Woohoo! Come on, ladies....... when my husband takes a bite of this pie and his eyes roll back in his head? You know it HAS to be good! I've been cooking for this man for over 33 years and I really do know my way around in a kitchen, but it's been quite a while since I've gotten a reaction like that. We both agreed that this pie will definitely have to be made for our future family events - or just for the two of us for no good reason - other than the fact that it's so darn good! As for the ingredients, here's a rundown of my costs so you'll have an idea (I live in the midwest: Applejack $17, Grains of Paradise $6, Apple jelly (I used an Amish brand $2.09, Fresh Apple Cider $1.89, Apples (2 Granny Smith, 2 Braeburn, 2 Golden Delicious $5.30, Tapioca flour (tapioca starch is the same thing $0.79, 1 lime $0.50. The rest of the ingredients I had on hand. Initially, it took about $34 to get the main ingredients, but with the exception of the apples, I'll have these ingredients on hand now for multiple future pies. One reviewer commented that this pie was a bit "entailed' to make.......but the end result is truly worth the effort. Give it a go for yourself. You'll be glad you went the extra mile. ; - If you can't find the necessary ingredients in your own grocery, try purchasing them online. They're out there.

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Alton,
Will you marry me?

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I'll start by saying this pie was wonderful, just as every AB recipe is wonderful. But like most AB recipes, it "required" unique tools and ingredients I didn't have in the house and couldn't find at my local megamart or Bed, Bath & Beyond. (And I live in a very ethnically diverse part of Southern California, not the boonies!

I ended up using flour instead of tapioca flour, Sour Apple Schnapps instead of Applejack, Pear preserves instead of Apple Jelly, and caraway seeds instead of Grains of Paradise (which is a substitution AB recommends in the TV show. I had a 1" tart pan but that worked out ok. Had to make my own pie bird out of tin foil and that worked out ok too.

The crust was light and flaky and yummy but I didn't taste a hint of apple in it. I'm not a drinker and don't know anything about alcohol but I suppose I might have been better off substituting a brandy for the brandy instead of schnapps for the brandy. If your crust is tough or crumbly, it may be that you are handling it too much. The less you fool around with pie crust once the ingredients are blended, the better.

The pie was not too sweet, which is a good thing, and actually my pie turned out a bit on the tart side. Maybe too many granny smiths?

Letting the pie cool for 4 hours is essential. I couldn't wait to try it so I took a tiny piece after the pie had cooled about 10 minutes. It was a runny drippy mess. But after letting it sit overnight, the texture firmed up and when you slice into it, it is ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS.

I have ordered a 2" tart pan, pie bird, and most of the recommended ingredients from amazon. Can't wait to make it again!

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I must admit my first attempt (and there's only been one so far! was difficult but well worth it. I did not have the grains of paradise and substituted nutmeg, cinnamon, which was fine but not the taste I was going for. I have since found a very interesting fine foods website, www.lepicerie.com, here in NYC that delivers...and it was only $6.75 for 2.25oz tin of the grains! The pie is beautiful when it slides out of the tart pan! Such a presentation! My crust however, was very dry and crumbled when I cut into the pie - what could I be doing wrong? Now that apple picking season is upon us here in the Northeast I can't wait for the next one to come out of the oven! Thanks Alton!