White House pastry chef Bill Yosses' light, flaky pie crusts have earned him the nickname "The Crustmaster" from President Barack Obama. His trick to making fruit pies worthy of a president is to bake the bottom crust first, then fill and top the pie and bake it again.
Yosses prefers to mix the dough by hand to avoid overworking it but for an easier home version, suggests using a food processor.
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BILL YOSSES' APPLE PIE
Start to finish: 3 1/2 hours (30 minutes active)
Servings: 8
For the crust:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
10 ounces unsalted butter, cold, cut into small chunks
3 ounces lard, cold, cut into small chunks
1/2 cup ice water
For the filling:
2 pounds apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
For the egg wash:
1 egg Continued...