Apple Pie & Apple-Rosemary Pie

Apples at market

by Cat, Aug 2008 (Photo, right, from Wikipedia)

Includes: 1. Basic Apple Pie (9″, with modifications for 10″ and deep-dish); 2. Apple-Rosemary Pie

See also: 1. Rosemary – Thyme Shortbread Cookies; 2. Pie & Tart Crusts, Pastry; 3. Pies, Tarts, Turnovers

There is just nothing like a freshly-baked pie made from fresh apples, except perhaps when those apples come from your own tree.  I have a Macintosh apple tree, and can hardly wait until September arrives and I can make an apple pie by mixing my Macs with some Granny Smiths from the farmers market.

Basic Apple Pie

Good ol’ American Apple Pie. What can beat it?

Back when I was first learning to cook, I found a small cookbook: Pillsbury’s Dessert Cookbook (1); you know, one of those less-than-100-page pamphlet type cookbooks. From that small book, I learned to perfect a flaky pie crust and add amazing fillings. This recipe is adapted from that cookbook, and uses my favorite Yogurt Pie Crust II made with spelt. 

Or check out my Pie & Tart Crust Menu for a pastry of your choosing. I include ingredients for both 9″ and 10″ pie pans for most of my crust recipes.

I also include filling ingredients for both 9″ and 10″ pan sizes here.

Ingredients & Equipment for 9″ pie

(See below for 10″ pan)

• Yogurt Pie Crust II (Spelt) for 2-crust 9″ pie, or recipe of your choosing
• 6 cups fresh apples, sliced (see Apple Info (About) pie recommendations)
• ¾ cup Rapadura sugar or date sugar (or ½ tsp stevia extract powder and 1 Tbsp honey or maple syrup)
• 2 Tbsp unbleached white flour or 2 Tbsp tapioca starch
• ¾ tsp cinnamon or apple pie spice mix; or ½ tsp cinnamon plus ¼ to ½ tsp nutmeg, clove and/or cardamom
• dash of Unrefined sea salt
• 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp milk (optional)
• 1 – 2 tsp Rapadura sugar (optional)

Ingredients for 10″ pie

• Yogurt Pie Crust II (Spelt) for 2-crust 10″ pie (or 10″ deep dish), or recipe of your choosing
• 7 cups fresh apples, sliced (8 cups if deep dish)
• 1 cup Rapadura or date sugar (or ¾ tsp stevia extract powder and 1 Tbsp honey or maple syrup)
• 3 Tbsp unbleached white flour or 3 Tbsp tapioca starch (3 ½ Tbsp if deep dish)
• 1 tsp cinnamon or apple pie spice mix; or ½ tsp cinnamon plus ½ to 1 tsp nutmeg, clove and/or cardamom (1 ¼ tsp cinnamon/apple pie spice if deep dish)
• dash of Unrefined sea salt
• 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp butter (2 ½ Tbsp butter if deep dish)
• 1 Tbsp milk and 2 – 3 tsp sugar (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 425° F (if making yogurt crust, don’t preheat oven until you are ready to roll out the dough).
2. Prepare pastry, divide into two balls, one slightly larger than the other. Roll out larger ball to diameter 1″ larger than overturned pie pan. Carefully transfer to pie pan, repairing any tears by lightly moistening the dough. See Pie Crust Challenges & Notes for tips on rolling and transferring.
3. Slice apples and place them in a bowl of water with some lemon juice to keep them from browning. When all are sliced, transfer to colander to drain off the water, then return apples to bowl.
4. Add sweetener, thickener (flour or starch), and spices. Toss lightly to mix, then pour into pastry-lined pan. Dot with butter. Moisten pastry overhang.
5. Roll out remaining dough, fold into fourths and make small cuts at folds. Transfer to top of filling and unfold. Press top crust overhang to moistened bottom overhand. Trim and flute edge.
6. If desired, brush 1 Tbsp milk over crust, and sprinkle lightly with Rapadura sugar.
7. Bake in preheated oven 40 – 45 minutes (9″) or 45 – 55 minutes (10″) . The juices from the apple filling will bubble out through the slits in the crust as an indicator the pie is ready.
8. Remove from oven and cool on a rack before cutting.

Apple-Rosemary Pie

This recipe is adapted from Better Homes & Gardens September 2008 magazine (2).   The idea of apples, rosemary and lemon together appeals to me. [NOTE:  for another interesting treats using rosemary, see Rosemary – Thyme Shortbread Cookies.

Rosemary is an interesting herb that works in sweet treats as well as savory dishes. But I’ve not yet tried it with apples.

You can use your own pie crust recipe, or try one of mine (I like Yogurt Pie Crust II made with spelt). But do try adding the extra ingredients in this recipe; however, if you use my yogurt pie crust, you won’t need the cider vinegar, as the yogurt provides adequate acidity.

Or you could make a Pastry Sucrée or Pasta Frolla, both of which already use egg, so you would not need the egg in this recipe.

Date sugar is simply dried and ground dates, and makes a great healthful substitute for brown sugar in many baked goods. I love using it to sweeten apples.

Not yet tested.

Ingredients & Equipment for 9″ pan:

Rosemary Pastry

• 2-crust pie pastry recipe plus:
• 1 tsp Rapadura sugar
• ½ tsp finely snipped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Rosemary syrup

• 2 Tbsp honey
• ¼ cup water
• 2 large sprigs fresh rosemary

Apple filling

• ½ cup date sugar (or Rapadura sugar or brown sugar)
• ¼ cup unbleached white flour
• ¼ tsp Unrefined sea salt
• 1 tsp finely snipped fresh rosemary
• about 5 Granny Smith apples
• 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 Tbsp heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ¼ cup butter
• 1 egg white, beaten
• 2 tsp Rapadura sugar

Equipment:

• small saucepan
• small and very large bowls
• cast iron skillet
• rubber or silicone spatula
• 9″ pie pan

Method:

Pastry:

1. Make desired pastry for 2-crusts and 9″ pan size, adding sugar and rosemary to flour, and mixing egg yolk and vinegar in ⅓ cup ice water. Start with 4 Tbsp of the water mixture, then add more as needed
2. Divide pastry in half, forming into balls.  Wrap in waxed paper and chill 30 minutes.

Syrup:

1. Combine honey, water and 2 sprigs rosemary in small saucepan.  Heat over medium heat until warm.  Remove from heat and allow to steep 30 minutes; remove rosemary sprigs and discard.

Apple filling:  

1. Combine date sugar, flour, salt and 1 tsp finely snipped rosemary in small bowl.
2. Core, peel and slice enough apples to make 6 cups.  Place in large bowl; toss with lemon juice.  Add flour mixture; toss to coat.
3. Stir cream and vanilla into rosemary syrup, then stir this into the apples.
4. Melt butter in large cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Add apple mixture, and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and set aside.
5. See ‘Assembly’ below.

Assembly:  

1. Preheat oven to 375⁰ F.
2. Roll one pastry ball on lightly floured surface to a 12″ diameter circle.  Transfer to pie pan; trim pastry even with rim of pan.
3. Spoon in apple filling.
4. Roll remaining pastry ball to a circle.  Fold into quarters and cut slits into the folded edges.  Place over filling and trim to ½ inch beyond edge of pan.  Fold top pastry under bottom pastry and crimp edge.  Brush top pastry with egg white and sprinkle with sugar.
5. Cover edge of pie with foil to prevent burning.  Place on baking sheet.  Bake 35 minutes.  Remove foil and bake 20 – 25 minutes more, until fruit is tender and filling is bubbly. Cool on wire rack.
6. Serve slightly warm, with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired.

References

1. Pillsbury’s Dessert Cookbook, Copyright 1970
2. Better Homes & Gardens September 2008 (bhg.com/recipe/pies/rosemary-apple-pie)