A Tarte de Maçã Americana é um clássico que conforta a alma. Esta versão, com uma preparação dividida em dois dias, permite que os sabores se desenvolvam plenamente, resultando numa massa excecionalmente estaladiça e num recheio de maçã rico e aromático. A paciência é o ingrediente secreto que transforma esta tarte numa sobremesa verdadeiramente memorável.

Ingredientes

Para a massa

  • 2 chávenas de farinha de trigo
  • 3 colheres (sopa) de açúcar
  • ½ chávena de gordura vegetal em pedaços (substituí por 40 gr de manteiga/margarina)
  • 3 colheres (sopa) de margarina/manteiga, gelada e picada (60 gr de manteiga/margarina)
  • 6 colheres (sopa) de água gelada

Para o recheio

  • 5 maçãs médias
  • 3 colheres (sopa) de farinha de trigo
  • Sumo de 2 limões pequenos
  • 1 pitada de noz-moscada
  • 1 chávena de açúcar misturado com canela (para a próxima corto um pouco no açúcar, ponho ¾ de chávena)

Preparação

Dia 1

Para a massa: colocar todos os ingredientes, excepto a água, no processador (utilizando a lâmina). Ligar e desligar até ficar com uma massa em pedaços. Com o motor ligado, adicionar a água e desligar apenas quando a massa se soltar da tigela. Retirar a massa e, se for preciso, amassar (eu amassei e juntei um pouquinho de farinha para ligar melhor). Dividir a massa em duas partes iguais, envolver em película aderente e levar ao frigorífico durante a noite para descansar.*

Para o recheio: descascar as maçãs, retirar os caroços e cortar às fatias. Num recipiente colocar as maçãs regadas com o sumo de limão, o açúcar e canela e a pitada de noz-moscada. Envolver e deixar repousar durante a noite no frigorífico.

Dia 2

Pré-aquecer o forno a temperatura média.

Numa superfície polvilhada com farinha, abrir uma metade da massa e forrar a tarteira. Abrir a outra metade de maneira a cobrir a tarte e reservar. Adicionar a farinha à maçã e mexer bem. Colocar no interior da forma e cobrir com a restante massa (a maçã que utilizei deitou muita água por isso não deitei o líquido todo, para evitar que a massa de baixo ficasse crua). Selar as bordas da tarte, fazer uns furos na superfície da massa e pincelar com um ovo ligeiramente batido (não utilizei). Levar ao forno a assar. No final, a massa deve estar dourada e o recheio a borbulhar. Pode-se servir morna ou fria e sugere-se acompanhar com gelado de nata.

Dica: A massa pode ser congelada por até 3 meses. Embale em filme de PVC e descongele na geladeira.

Ready to bake a slice of pure Americana? Here is the English version of this iconic recipe.

American Apple Pie

There are few desserts as iconic or as comforting as a classic American Apple Pie. This recipe is a fantastic guide to creating that perfect pie experience: a wonderfully flaky, buttery crust encasing a mountain of tender, spiced apples. The secret here is patience; by preparing the dough and the filling the day before, you allow the pastry to relax and hydrate fully, resulting in a superior flaky texture, while the apples have time to marcinate and release their juices, deepening the flavour.

The result is a pie with a beautifully golden top, a rich, gooey cinnamon-apple filling that bubbles invitingly, and a bottom crust that holds up beautifully. The author’s notes are excellent, particularly the tip about reducing the sugar for a tarter filling and draining some of the excess liquid from the apples to avoid a soggy bottom—a common challenge in pie making .

Served warm from the oven, the contrast between the crisp pastry and the soft, fragrant filling is pure bliss. While it’s perfect on its own, a scoop of vanilla or clotted cream ice cream melting on top is the traditional and arguably the best way to enjoy it .

Ingredients

**For the pastry**

  • 2 cups (280g) plain flour
  • 3 tablespoons caster sugar
  • ½ cup vegetable shortening, in pieces (the author substituted with 40g of butter/margarine)
  • 3 tablespoons cold butter or margarine, cubed (making a total of 100g of butter/margarine if not using shortening)
  • 6 tablespoons ice-cold water

**For the filling**

  • 5 medium apples
  • 3 tablespoons plain flour
  • Juice of 2 small lemons
  • 1 pinch of nutmeg
  • 1 cup of caster sugar mixed with cinnamon (the author suggests reducing this to ¾ of a cup for a less sweet pie)

Method

**Day 1**

  1. For the pastry: place all the ingredients, except for the water, into a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter [1][8]. With the motor running, add the ice-cold water a tablespoon at a time, stopping as soon as the dough comes together into a ball.
  2. Remove the dough and, if needed, knead it briefly on a floured surface to bring it together. Divide the dough into two equal parts, wrap them in cling film, and refrigerate overnight to rest.
  3. For the filling: peel, core, and slice the apples. In a large bowl, toss the apple slices with the lemon juice, sugar-cinnamon mixture, and the pinch of nutmeg. Cover and let it rest overnight in the fridge.

**Day 2**

  1. Preheat the oven to a medium temperature, around 190°C (170°C Fan / Gas Mark 5).
  2. On a floured surface, roll out one half of the chilled dough and use it to line a pie dish. Roll out the other half to create the lid for the pie and set it aside.
  3. Add the 3 tablespoons of flour to the macerated apple filling and mix well. Spoon the filling into the pastry-lined dish. The author notes that the apples will have released a lot of liquid; it’s a good idea to discard most of this liquid to prevent the bottom crust from becoming raw and soggy [7].
  4. Cover the pie with the remaining pastry lid. Seal the edges by crimping them together. Cut a few slits in the top of the pie to allow steam to escape. For a golden finish, you can brush the top with a lightly beaten egg (the author did not do this step).
  5. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. This can take 40-50 minutes [8].
  6. Serve warm or cold. It’s delicious with a scoop of clotted cream or vanilla ice cream.

Tips:

  • The pastry can be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap it well in cling film and defrost it in the fridge before using.
  • For the flakiest pastry, it’s crucial that your butter/shortening and water are as cold as possible [1][5].
  • To prevent the edges of the pie from burning before the centre is cooked, you can cover them with a strip of aluminium foil for the first part of the baking, removing it for the last 15 minutes [7][8].
  • Allow the pie to cool for at least a couple of hours before slicing. This gives the filling time to set properly, ensuring you get clean, neat slices [1].