Tasty Apple Pie
No need to sacrifice flavor in this delicious dairy-free apple pie. A whole-wheat crust and unpeeled apples gives this pie a nutritional boost (and makes preparation even easier!).
Recipe Information
Total Time: 30 minutes active, 2 hours total
Servings: 8
Ingredients
Pie Crust (yields two 9" pie crusts)
2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 rounded teaspoon salt
2/3 cups chilled vegetable shortening (see Note)
4 - 7 tablespoons ice water
Apple Filling
6-8 apples
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons flour or tapioca flour
Tiny pinch of salt
Cinnamon (optional)
3 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons stick margarine, cut up in small chunks (see Note)
Preparation
Crust
Mix flour and salt evenly in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Chop shortening into chunks and cut into the salted flour, using a pastry cutter or two knives, one in each hand, in a scissors fashion (here's a 30 second tutorial on the knife cutting technique on YouTube). Chunks the size of small peas should remain. This will help make sure the crust is flaky.
Moisten dough a tablespoon of ice water at a time just until it holds together. It should still be crumbly but stick together enough that you can mold it into a ball. Don’t wet it too much or it will be tough.
Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour before rolling it out.
Filling
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Wash, core, and slice the apples evenly and place them into a mixing bowl. (It is fine to leave the skin on the apples---especially if they are organic; peel adds a nice texture.) Tip: Thinner slices cook faster and yield a moister filling. Check quantity needed by piling apple slices in an empty pie pan. It should be heaped high.
Mix together sugar, tapioca flour, salt, cinnamon, and dust over apple slices to coat evenly. If slices stick together, separate gently.
Pie Assembly
Remove pie crust from refrigerator, divide into two halves, and roll out the bottom crust on top of a sheet of baking parchment or waxed paper lightly dusted with flour to keep it from sticking. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out from the center, rotating the paper to distribute it evenly. Lay pie pan lightly upside down on crust to check size (dough should be about 11" in diameter, or show a 1" margin all around the pan). When the dough is big enough, center the pie pan on the crust and invert the dough into the pan.
Fill the pan with the apple mixture, layering in the chunks of margarine and drizzling with maple syrup.
Roll out top crust on a fresh sheet of floured parchment to about 9 1/2 inches in diameter and flip it on top of the filling. Seal the edges with your fingertips or a fork, and make slits in the top crust to release steam, and view the filling cooking. Or make a lattice top by cutting strips and weaving them in a criss-cross pattern over the top. Lattice tops are pretty and good for fruit pies.
Bake for approximately 1 hour. The filling should be bubbling in the middle, not just around the edges. Let cool, cut, and serve.
Tips & Notes
Ingredient Notes
Try Granny Smith, Mutsu, or a favorite local tart apple variety for the best flavor.
For healthier vegan shortenings and margarines, look for those that do not contain hydrogenated oils/trans fats.
Make-Ahead Tip
Pie crust can be made, rolled out, and frozen uncooked in the pie pan for use up to a month in advance. Place the pie and crust in a sealed plastic bag to prevent freezer burn. When ready to use, let thaw and gently re-seal any cracks that may have formed while the dough was frozen.
Nutritional Information
474 calories, 22 g. fat, 0 mg. cholesterol, 368 mg. sodium, 68 g. carbohydrate, 8 g. fiber, 6 g. protein
Recipe Courtesy of Welcome to the Table Co-op