Nonna Klugmann's Apple Pie

Believe it or not, Apple pie is just as beloved to Italians as it to Americans, particularly in northeast Italy where Austrian traditions factor heavily into the local cuisine. Antonia Klugmann, chef of the one-star Michelin-rated L'Argine a Venco in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, shares her grandmother's apple pie recipe with us. At her restaurant, which is less than a mile from Slovenia, she incorporates both influences from Friuli, the land of her heritage, as well as from those just across the border. Klugmann guest-edited our September 2020 Italian issue, in which she shared this family recipe. Nonna Klugmann’s Apple Pie RecipeIngredients to serve 10 people3 lb. apples
1 lb. all-purpose flour
1½ cups sugar
1¼ sticks unsalted butter
½ cup milk
½ cup rum
4 large eggs
1 sachet of baking powder
vanilla
lemon
cinnamon powderMethodPreheat the oven to 350°F.Start by whipping the eggs with the sugar until it becomes foamy. Next, sift together the flour with the baking powder.Gradually add the softened butter to the eggs, alternating with the flour and the liquids (milk and rum), taking care not to let the mixture dismantle.Peel the apples and cut them into slices. To prevent the peeled apples from oxidizing, place them in a bowl filled with water and ½ lemon juice. Add ⅓ of the apples to the dough and set the rest aside, leaving them in the water. Next, grease an 11″-round buttered mold, then pour in the dough. 

Combine cinnamon powder, the seeds of ½ vanilla pod, the grated zest of 1 lemon, in a bowl, and mix. Dip the remaining apple slices into the mixture, then place them on top of the dough, covering it completely. Bake the pie for 50-60 minutes. Test it by piercing it in the center with a toothpick. If it emerges clean, the pie is ready.