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+ servings

Apple Slab Pie a/k/a Apple Squares

5 from 36 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
chilling time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 16 slices
Calories 394
A cousin to apple pie, Apple Squares have a higher dough to filling ratio, and are a fun and delicious alternative to traditional round pies.

Equipment

  • jelly roll pan, 15 inches by 10 inches

Ingredients

Dough

  • 37 grams sugar (3 Tablepoons)
  • 450 grams all purpose flour (3¾ cups)
  • teaspoon fine sea salt (or table salt)
  • 340 grams refrigerator cold unsalted butter, cut into ¼ inch pieces* (24 Tablespoons or 1½ cups; Note: If mixing in a food processor, place your cut up butter in the freezer for at least 15 minutes before using)
  • ¾ cup ice water** (approximately; will likely be a little less)

Apple Filling

  • 4 Pounds apples, any variety of baking apples (1.8 kilograms)
  • 150 grams sugar (¾ cup)
  • 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon allspice
  • teaspoon nutmeg
  • teaspoon table salt

Topping

  • 100 grams sugar (½ cup)
  • 4 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 large egg*** (refrigerator cold)

Instructions 

Dough

  • Dough by hand. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Add all the butter. Using your hands, coat each piece of butter with the flour mixture. Pinch the pieces of butter to flatten them a bit. Keep working the mixture for a couple of minutes until the mixture resembles coarse sand with most of the clumps of butter the size of peas. Make a well in the middle. Add half of the ice cold water. Using your hands, scoop the flour from the sides and the bottoms to hydrate the flour with the water. Repeat, making a well in the middle and adding 1 Tablespoon of ice cold water at a time. You know you are done when the dough is slightly clumpy and becomes smooth when flattened in the palm of your hand. Divide the mixture in two, with one part slightly more than the other. Pour each half onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Push down on the plastic wrap to flatten the dough together into a rectangle. Repeat with the remaining portion of dough. Place the wrapped doughs in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. Continue with Step 4, below.
  • Dough by Food Processor. Combine the flour, sugar and salt and pulse several times. Add all of the frozen butter. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand with most of the clumps of butter the size of peas. Add half of the ice cold water and pulse a few times to combine. If the mixture is too dry, add more of the ice cold water 1 Tablespoon. at a time. You know you are done when the dough is slightly clumpy and when flattened in your palm it is smooth. Divide the mixture in two, with one part slightly more than the other. Pour each onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Push down on the plastic wrap to flatten into a rectangle. Repeat with the remaining portion of dough. Place the wrapped doughs in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. Continue with Step 4, below.
  • Dough by Mixer. In the mixing bowl of an electric mixer, mix the flour, sugar and salt on low with the paddle attachment until fully combined. Add the refrigerator cold butter and mix until the mixture resembles coarse sand with most of the clumps of butter the size of peas. With the mixer on low, slowly add half of the ice cold water. If the mixture is too dry, add 1 Tablespoon of ice cold water at a time. You know you are done when the dough is slightly clumpy and when flattened in your palm it is smooth. Divide the mixture in two, with one part slightly, more than the other. Pour each onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Push down on the plastic wrap to flatten the dough into a rectangle. Repeat with the remaining portion of dough. Place the wrapped doughs in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. Continue with Step 4, below.
  • Remove the larger piece of dough from the refrigerator and lightly flour the countertop and your rolling pin. Place the dough on the lightly floured countertop and lightly flour the top of the dough.
  • Roll the dough out so that it is a rectangle, approximately 18 inches by 13 inches. (If the dough cracks when you first start rolling, let it sit on the counter for a couple minutes. It just means the dough is too cold.) Line the jelly roll pan with the dough, pressing the dough into the edges. Place pan in refrigerator or freezer to chill.
  • Remove the remaining pie dough from the refrigerator and roll it out into a rectangle, approximately 16 inches by 11 inches. Place on parchment paper and onto a baking sheet. Refrigerate until ready to use. (Alternatively, you can wait to roll out the top dough, keeping it refrigerated, until after the bottom dough is filled with the apples.)

Apple Filling

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
  • Peel, half and core the apples. Cut them into ¼-inch squares and place them into a large mixing bowl.
  • Pour the sugar mixture over the apples. Toss the apples to evenly coat them.

Assembly

  • Preheat oven to 375° F.
  • Remove the jelly roll pan with the bottom crust from the freezer or refrigerator. Spread the apple mixture evenly into the prepared pan. If you have not already rolled out the top dough, roll it out now and place on top of slab pie. If you have the top dough rolled out, remove it from the refrigerator and flip it over so the parchment paper is on top. Peel the parchment off. Join the top and bottom dough layers together by pressing them into each other with your fingertips. Crimp or use a fork to press down on the edges. Use a paring knife to cut slits into the top dough to allow steam to escape as the pie bakes. Use a paring knife to trim any excess dough from the edges. Freeze the entire slab pie for 15 minutes, or refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • In a small bowl, mix the sugar with the cinnamon. Set aside.
  • Beat the cold egg. With a pastry brush, brush the top of the apple slab pie with the beaten egg. Generously sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top.
  • Bake for 45-50 minutes. The edges should be golden brown. Allow to cool on a wire rack before slicing. (To prevent any juices from falling onto the bottom of your oven, take a large piece of heavy duty foil and fold the edges up. Place the foil on the rack under the slab pie. The foil will catch any juices.)

Notes

*To make this dairy free, substitute the butter in the dough with non-dairy margarine or vegan butter. I find that both Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks and Miyoko's Vegan Butter work well.
**I generally measure out my ingredients by weight, rather than by cups. The ice water in this recipe is a rare exception. You do not need to be precise with the amount of ice water, as you may need slightly more or less depending on how warm and humid your kitchen is. 
***To make this vegan, use veganbutter in the dough. Replace the egg wash with a non-dairy milk. Oat milk or almond milk would be ideal. 
Store the Apple Squares in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap at room temperature. They keep even longer stored in the refrigerator. 
Calories: 394kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: apple desserts, apple slab pie, apple squares

Nutrition

Calories: 394kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 245mg | Potassium: 164mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 609IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 2mg