ChefSteps is a team of chefs, writers, and food lovers who develop recipes, techniques, and guides to help people cook better at home.

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When it comes to quintessentially American desserts, there are few more revered than apple pie. Classically double-crusted and filled with fresh fruit and warming spices, there’s a reason it’s an anchor of any Fourth of July picnic or Thanksgiving dessert spread. Never mind that the apple pie isn’t strictly an American invention—a hat tip here to its medieval European ancestors. But heck, there’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pie_Town,_New_Mexico">a town in New Mexico named after apple pie</a>. It’s a national treasure. Our take on apple pie is the ultimate exercise in avoiding that nemesis of bakers everywhere—a soggy bottom. And, boy, do we have some <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/tips-tricks-the-secret-to-crispy-pie-crusts">pie-perfect tips for you</a>. First, we use a cast-iron skillet to keep all that helpful heat inside the pan. Then we make sure everything from the crust to the filling stays nice and cold, right up until the pie goes into the oven. Then, to cap it off, we use our patented triple-bake method to get that luscious sear. Oh, and when you cut into that crispy, crackly lid? You’ll get an intensely apple filling in a light caramel that’s just the right amount of sweet. We round the flavor out with a hit of bourbon for depth and a hint of lemon for freshness. It’s a blue ribbon shoo-in. Get your forks ready, friends—this scrumptious taste of tradition tends to disappear quickly.