Blue Ribbon Apple Pie
Cortland apples are the secret star in this Blue Ribbon Apple Pie recipe.
By Yankee Magazine|Aug 17 2026|
Blue Ribbon Apple Pie
Credit: Joseph Keller/styling by Catrine KeltyA repeat entrant in the Topsfield Fair’s baking competitions, Jannine Fisk of Malden, Massachusetts, spent years perfecting this recipe. “I had won blue ribbons in all the other contests, but the apple pie category was the elusive blue ribbon I had been waiting to add to my collection.” In 2018, she finally got it. “I have it framed and hanging in my kitchen,” she says.
Here are her secrets: “Cortland apples are a New England classic for good reason: They hold their shape in the oven, don’t turn to mush, and have just enough tartness to balance a spiced filling. Macoun or Northern Spy apples also work well. If your apples release a lot of liquid after slicing, drain them briefly before tossing with the spice mixture.” Also, she brushes inside the bottom crust with an egg wash to prevent sogginess. And a blast of high heat at the start of baking gives the crust a head start on browning.
This winning Blue Ribbon Apple Pie recipe first appeared in “Blue-Ribbon Buffet” in the September/October 2026 issue of Yankee.
Yield
8 to 10 servings
For the crust
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon table salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very cold, cut into ½-inch cubes
½ cup very cold water
Instructions
First, make the crust: Whisk together flour, granulated sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse sand (you want some pieces the size of small peas). Drizzle in ice water a little at a time, stirring with a fork, until the dough just holds together when pressed. Divide into two equal disks, flatten slightly, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days.
For the filling
Ingredients
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar, firmly packed
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
5 pounds Cortland apples (about 7–8 large apples), peeled and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
1 large egg
1 teaspoon water
2 teaspoons sanding sugar (optional)
Instructions
Then, assemble the pie: Beat egg with water in a small bowl to make an egg wash. Roll out one dough disk and fit into a well-greased 9-inch pie plate. Brush with a thin layer of egg wash; let sit for 10 minutes before filling with the apple mixture, mounding as needed. Brush the outer rim of the crust with egg wash, lay the second rolled-out dough disk over the filling to make the top crust, and press to seal. Trim and crimp the edges, and cut a few vents in the top. Brush the entire surface with egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar, if using. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400°F and set a rack to the lower position. Bake pie for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F and continue baking until the crust is deep golden brown and the juices bubble thickly, 45 to 55 minutes more. Rotate halfway through if your oven runs unevenly; tent the edges with foil if they darken too quickly. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing, at least 2 hours.
