There are numerous versions of this apple custard dessert, which harkens back to Colonial times. Although you can make a good Marlborough pie with applesauce (and many recipes do), diced fresh apples, cooked gently in butter and sugar and then lightly spiced and combined with eggs and cream, result in a delicate pie with a flavor and texture that I find far and away better than the others I’ve tried.
Makes one 9-inch pie
Basic All-American Pie Dough for a 9-inch pie shell (page 20)
3 Golden Delicious apples, 1 to 1¼ pounds
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
⅔ cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
3 eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll out the dough and fit it into a 9-inch glass pie pan, then trim and flute the edges (see page 22).
Peel, halve, and core the apples. Cut each half into 4 pieces, then cut the pieces crosswise into ½-inch chunks. Set aside. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter and sugar together, stirring frequently. Add the apples and stir to coat with the sugar mixture. The apples will quickly exude a lot of juice. Continue cooking over moderate heat, stirring frequently, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the juices have mostly evaporated and the apples are fairly tender; the bubbling liquid remaining in the skillet will have a thick, syrupy consistency. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside to cool for about 10 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream, eggs, and salt until evenly blended. Add the apples, making sure to include any of the syrupy liquid remaining in the skillet. Stir gently but thoroughly to combine the apples and custard. Pour into the prepared pie shell.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the filling has puffed around the edges and browned lightly; the center should be softly set, and a knife inserted into it will come out with a film of cooked, but not raw, filling on it. Cool for at least 1 hour before serving. The filling will sink as it cools.