Slab Apple Pie

Slab Apple Pie
from the kitchen of Ellen, with thanks to Cook's Country

Ingredients:

Pie:

• 8 Granny Smith apples (about 3.5 lbs), peeled, cored, and sliced thin
• 8 Golden Delicious apples (about 3.5 lbs), peeled, cored, and sliced thin
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups animal crackers
• 2 (15 oz) boxes Pillsbury Ready to Roll Pie Crust
• 4 tbs unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 6 tbs Minute tapioca
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 tbs lemon juice

Glaze:

• 3/4 cup reserved apple juice (from filling)
• 2 tbs lemon juice
• 1 tbs unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

Combine:

• apples, 1 cups sugar, and salt in colander set over large bowl.  Let sit, tossing occasionally, until apples release their juices, about 30 minutes.  Press gently on apples to extract liquid and reserve 3/4 cup juice. 

Adjust:

• oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.  Pulse crackers and remaining sugar in food processor until finely ground.  Dust work surface with cracker mixture, brush half of one pie round with water, overlap with second pie round, and dust top with cracker mixture.  Roll out dough to 19 x 14 inches and transfer to rimmed baking sheet, which has been coated lightly with cooking spray.  Brush dough with butter and refrigerate; roll out top crust in same way.

Toss:

• drained apples with tapioca, cinnamon, and lemon juice and arrange evenly over bottom crust, pressing lightly to flatten.  Brush edges of bottom crust with water, and arrange top crust on pie.  Press crusts together and use paring knife to trim any excess dough.  Use fork to crimp and seal outside edge of pie, then pierce top of pie at 2-inch intervals.  Bake until pie is golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 1 hour.  Transfer to wire rack and let cool 1 hour.

Glaze:

• While pie is cooling, simmer reserved apple juice in saucepan over medium heat until syrupy and reduced to 1/4 cup, about 6 minutes.  Stir in lemon juice and butter and let cool to room temperature.  Whisk in confectioners' sugar and brush glaze evenly over warm pie.  Let pie cool completely, at least 1 hour.

Make ahead:

• May be made up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerated.  Bring to room temperature before serving.