Apple Slab Pie

From Cook's Country

I know this isn't Kathy's famous apple pie (which she should probably post this month), but it is still pretty darn good. Here goes.

Pie:
8 granny smith apples (about 3 1/2 lbs.) peeled, cored, and sliced thin
8 golden delicious apples (about 3 1/2 lbs.) peeled, cored, and sliced thin
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 c. animal crackers
2 (15 oz.) boxes pillsbury ready to roll pie crust
4 T. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
6 T. minute tapioca
2 t. ground cinnamon
3 T. lemon juice


Glaze:
3/4 c. reserved apple juice (from filling)
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 c. powdered sugar

1. For the pie: combine apples, 1 c. sugar and salt in colander set over large bowl. Let sit, tossing occassionally until apples release their juices, about 30 minutes. Press gently on apples to extract liquid and reserve 3/4 c. juice.

2. 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 " and transfer to rimmed baking sheet. Brush dough with butter and refrigerate; roll out top crust in the same way.

3. 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 a paring knife to trim any excess dough. Use fork to crimp and seal outside edge of pie and then pierce top of pie at 2" intervals. Bake until pie is golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 1 hour. Transfer to wire rack and let cool 1 hour.

4. For the glaze: While pie is cooling, simmer reserved apple juice in saucepan over medium heat until syrupy and reduced to 1/4 c. , about6 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and butter and let cool to room temperature. Whisk in powdered sugar and brush glaze evenly over warm pie. Let pie cool completely, at least 1 hour longer. Serve.

**This pie can be made up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.

***You grind animal crackers and sugar to a powder in the food processor and use this mixture instead of flour to facilitate rolling out the dough. The animal cracker-sugar mixture lends a much needed flavor to the bland store-bough pie dough.