Ask Pie Town locals what you should order at Michael Rawl’s Good Pie Cafe and they’ll suggest New Mexican apple pie. It’s basically New Mexico in a pie dish: green chiles, pinon nuts, and on top, the state flag rendered in dough. Rawl, a Baltimore native, developed the recipe shortly after opening Good Pie Cafe in Pie Town, New Mexico in 2001. It has been the bestseller ever since.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 4 hr |
| Prep: | 1 hr 30 min |
| Inactive: | 1 hr |
| Cook: | 1 hr 30 min |
| Yield: | 8 to 10 servings |
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons lard
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 6 to 7 apples (such as Granny Smith, Fuji and/or Gala), peeled and sliced (about 6 cups)
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup turbinado sugar, plus more for sprinkling
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
- 1/4 cup canned or frozen chopped hot green chiles (thawed if frozen)
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1 large egg
- Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Instructions
- Make the crust: Cut the lard into 1/2-inch cubes; transfer to a plate and freeze at least 1 hour. Combine the flour, granulated sugar, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Cut in the lard with 2 knives until the mixture looks like coarse meal with pea-size bits of lard (do not overmix). A little at a time, stir in 1/2 to 1 cup ice water until the dough holds together when squeezed; the amount of water will vary depending on the humidity. (You can also make the dough in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.) Divide the dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; use the plastic to help form each half into a disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Make the filling: Combine the apples, flour, turbinado sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, lemon juice, green chiles and pine nuts in a large bowl and toss. Let sit 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Roll out 1 disk of dough into a 12-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Ease into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate, then spoon the filling into the crust. Roll out the remaining disk of dough into a 12-inch round; lay the dough over the filling. Press the 2 crusts together around the edge, then fold the overhanging dough under itself and crimp with your fingers. Cut a few slits in the top crust or prick with a fork to let steam escape. Whisk the egg with 1/4 cup water and brush over the top crust. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
- Bake, rotating the pie every 20 minutes, until golden brown, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely. Serve with ice cream.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 290 |
| Total Fat | 9 g |
| Saturated Fat | 3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 47 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 19 g |
| Protein | 5 g |
| Cholesterol | 26 mg |
| Sodium | 283 mg |