I compared Martha Stewart's and Ina Garten's apple pie recipes. Only one actually tasted like apple pie.

I compared the apple pie recipes of Martha Stewart and Ina Garten. Garten's crust called for shortening and utilized more citrus, whereas Stewart's recipe was more straightforward. After experiencing this, I pledged to heed any and all baking advice.

Apple pie is a quintessential fall treat, but if you're anything like me, you've likely purchased it from a grocery store or bakery. Inspired to bake an apple pie from scratch for the first time, I decided to try two recipes from renowned culinary figures: Martha Stewart's Old-Fashioned Apple Pie and Ina Garten's Deep-Dish Apple Pie.

The first step in any great pie is the crust. For Stewart's recipe, I gathered the following ingredients: flour, butter, sugar, ice water, and salt. Her instructions required combining flour, butter, sugar, and salt in a food processor. However, my food processor proved too small for the entire mixture, necessitating multiple batches. The resulting dough was then chilled in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile, Garten's recipe called for the same primary ingredients, with the addition of shortening. The process was similar, but her dough was significantly stickier. Coating my hands in flour proved essential for handling this challenging mixture. Once chilled overnight, it was time to prepare the filling.

Both recipes recommend using Granny Smith apples for their firmness and resistance to becoming mealy when baked. Garten's recipe called for 4 pounds of sliced apples, which I achieved using a food scale. After adding spices and other flavorings, including lemon zest, orange zest, lemon juice, orange juice, sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, I encountered a significant challenge.

The crust, although flavorful, was excessively sticky and difficult to roll out. Despite my efforts—feeling like I had poured a gallon of flour on the dough—I still struggled to get it into the pie dish without sticking. The result was a partially stuck crust, despite my best efforts.

Ultimately, the experience taught me the importance of following recipes closely, especially when attempting something new like baking from scratch. While the pie tasted like a traditional apple pie, the process was fraught with challenges that dampened my initial enthusiasm.