The Step You Can't Skip For The Most Flavorful Apple Pie Filling

We know that if you have slices of a warm and delicious Dutch apple pie served with a partially melted scoop of ice cream on the mind, it is hard to think about demonstrating patience when whipping up the recipe for yourself. Yet a bit of restraint is exactly what you need if you want to up your chances at putting together a flavorful treat that doesn't cut corners when it comes to taste.

After macerating your apples, which eliminates moisture and helps the fruit maintain its structure, it's important to let them rest. This momentary gap in activity allows the apples enough time to get to know the other additions, including sugar, spices, and lemon juice, which not only aids in the brightness of the apples but also helps balance the flavor of the dish.

In 30 minutes, the macerated apples will soften and absorb more of the flavors you have packed into your recipe. Whether or not you decide to leave the skins on the apples you use, this extra time for the ingredients to sit, soak, and merge can help you bake the best tasting apple pie that has ever come out of your kitchen. 

Another approach to a more reserved cooking technique is the rest and reduce method. Not only will you factor in time to let mixed ingredients rest, but you'll intentionally use the addition of sugar to sliced apples to coax out juices that will be used to make a reduction. This caramelized syrup will then be added back to the mixture to make the apple pie filling before lemon juice, additional sugar, and your choice of spices are included to make the pie ready to place into the oven to bake. It may sound like an unnecessary step or painfully time-consuming process, but this extra love and focus you dedicate to making your pie will result in a flavorful filling that is thick, syrupy, and mouth-watering. As you set about reducing liquids and mixing ingredients, the pie mixture has even more time to merge, and the sweet juices that could potentially escape during the baking process are redirected in a more concentrated, controlled way.

Your dedicated patience and attentive care will pay off once you take a bite of that first slice of pie. When topped with a dusting of cinnamon powder and served with a scoop of brown butter and pecan ice cream, this apple filling will be the one to convince you to never return to a hastily made dish again.