Marie Rama, the Ledger’s food editor, makes her apple pie in two stages. First she cooks the apples in a skillet until they let go of their juices. Then she reduces those juices into a sauce and folds it back into the fruit before the pie goes in the oven.

“I make it a little bit differently than most people ’cause I think it has a little more flavor the way that I make it,” Rama says.

She uses a mix of apples that hold their shape in the oven: Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala, Golden Delicious. Red Delicious doesn’t make the cut, she says, because it turns mealy when it’s cooked.

Heavenly Apple Pie

To intensify the flavor of this apple pie, the apple slices are first simmered in butter, sugars, and spices. After the apples are strained, their seasoned juices are returned to the skillet with a spoonful of molasses and simmered until reduced to a rich, cinnamon-infused sauce. Tossed with the apples before baking, this concentrated sauce gives the filling a deeper, more complex flavor.

Ingredients:

• 3-1/2 pounds apples such as Granny Smith, or Gala, peeled, cored, and sliced*
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 to 1-1/2 tablespoons molasses, according to taste
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• Pie dough for a 10-inch, double-crust pie (see recipe below)
• 1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water (for basting pie crust before baking)

Directions:

1.) Combine the apples, lemon juice, both sugars, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl.

2.) Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the apple mixture and cook, stirring occasionally until the apples start to release their simmering juices and soften somewhat but still hold their shape, 6 to 9 minutes.

3.) Transfer the apples to a colander set over a bowl to collect the juices and let drain for several minutes.

4.) Return the strained juices to the skillet; stir in the molasses; bring the sauce to a simmer and cook over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes or until the mixture begins to reduce and thicken.

5.) Turn the reserved apples into a large bowl; add the reduced sauce, sprinkle with the flour and stir well to combine. Set the mixture aside and cool to room temperature.

6.) Place a large baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. (The baking sheet prevents any pie juices from leaking onto your oven and also helps to cook the bottom crust.)

7.) Roll out half of the pie dough (see pie dough recipe below) on a lightly floured surface until it is 12 to 13 inches in diameter. Transfer the round into the 10-inch pie plate. Brush the edge lightly with the egg mixture.

8.) Roll out the remaining dough on a lightly floured surface until it’s about 12 to 13 inches in diameter.

9.) Fill the pie shell with the cooled apple mixture. Cover with the remaining dough; trim off any excess and tightly crimp the edges together with your thumb or the tines of a fork. If desired, form any extra dough into the shape of an apple and place it on top of the crust before baking. Brush top lightly with the remaining beaten egg mixture and sprinkle, if desired, with a little extra sugar. Use the tip of a sharp knife to cut five vents in the top crust to allow steam to release as pie bakes.

10.) Set the pie on the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake 30 minutes longer, or just until the crust is lightly browned. Cool slightly on a wire rack and serve warm.

Serves 8

*Using a mix of different apples is recommended for making the most flavorful pie filling. Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Gala and Golden Delicious are good choices and tend to hold their shape when baked.

Basic Pie Dough for a 10-inch double crust pie

Ingredients:

• 2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Grated peel of 1 medium lemon
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/3 cup ice water, plus more if needed

Directions:

1.) In a food processor, pulse together the flour, salt, sugar, and lemon peel. Add the butter and pulse just until the mixture forms small pieces, about the size of corn kernels.

2.) Slowly add the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time and pulse just until the dough comes together. The dough should be just moistened, not wet.

3.) Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface such as a large clean cutting board or a stone counter top, and gather into a ball. Divide the dough in half and flatten each half into a disk; wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

4.) When ready to use, remove the dough from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature about 15 minutes or until it’s softened and easily rolled out.