Pie filling ingredients

*Note: You can do this procedure by hand if you are not using a stand mixer. 

Cut the butter into cubes of about ½ inch per side. Add the flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon to the stand mixer with the paddle attachment at low speed until well combined. Add the cold cubed butter to the stand mixer and mix at low speed until the butter is incorporated but before the dough forms (the mixture should still look powdery). Depending on the mixer, this takes about 1 to 2 minutes. Drizzle the water while mixing at a low speed and continue mixing until the dough resembles a crumbly paste (about 30 to 60 seconds). Place the dough on a pie mat and form a circle about 1 inch thick. Cover with plastic and store in the freezer for 45 minutes.

Place peeled cubed apples in a big bowl and add the lemon juice. Combine gently until the apples are coated. Add the sugar and combine gently until the apples are coated. In a large pot at medium heat, add the butter until almost melted. Add the apples and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the cinnamon, the nutmeg, and the lemon zest, and continue to stir. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch. Cover the pot and cook for another 5 minutes. The texture of the apples should be soft but still, hold their shape. Separate the juice of the apples by draining them using a strainer. The juice should be caramel in color. Set the apples aside in a bowl. Return the juice to the pot at medium-low. Keep stirring with a silicone spatula and cook until the sauce has slightly thickened. It should flow like melted chocolate but not as thick as a caramel dip. Stirring is very important because the sauce can burn easily. Add the sauce to the apples and stir to coat until combined. Cool down the bowl with the apples in the fridge until the apples are at room temperature (70-75 °F), around 30 minutes.

Dust generously with all-purpose flour on the pie mat and the rolling pin to prevent sticking. Grab the chilled pie crust, remove the plastic wrap, and place it in the pie mat. Set aside 350g (about a third of the dough) for making the lattices later. Roll the dough in the pie mat until the dough is about ¼  inch thick. Pour the apples inside the pie dish and level them using a silicone spatula. Preheat the oven to 420 °F Dust the pie mat and the rolling pin with all-purpose flour again and roll the remaining dough in the pie mat until the dough is about ⅙ inch thick (about 0.4 cm) Arrange the lattice pattern by placing one set of strips on the pie from one edge to the other then fold every other strip over. Trim the excess and fold and pinch the ends of the strips under the pie rim. In a small bowl, combine the egg and the milk using a small whisker, and gently brush the pie top with the egg and milk mixture thoroughly on the top surface to have a shiny finish after baking. In another small bowl whisk the sugar and the cinnamon and sprinkle half a tablespoon of the mixture over the pie.Cover the rim with aluminum foil to prevent it from burning. 

Place the pie in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Without taking the pie out of the oven, set the oven temperature to 375 °F and bake for another 30 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil from the pie rim and bake at the same temperature for another 10 minutes. Take the pie out of the oven and let it cool on a heat-resistant surface.