Just last week one of my regular clients asked me to make her an apple pie. Dessert requests are a rarity at The Food Fairy, so I was excited to oblige! In 1978 when I was living in the Catskill Mountains of New York I was overjoyed at the plethora of wild apples available for picking, and so this apple pie recipe was born. The original inspiration came from the Farmhouse Cookbook and I have been making this adaptation for the last forty years. Enjoy!
Ingredients for the Filling
10 Granny Smith apples, or a blend of sour and sweet firm apples, cut into 8-10 wedges
1⁄2 cup honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1⁄2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cardamom
1 TBSP lemon juice
3 TBLSP flour
2 TBLSP butter
Ingredients for the Crust
Your favorite pie crust (top and bottom)
1 egg yolk
1 TBLSP cream or milk (water will also work)
2 TBLSP brown sugar
Preheat oven to 450°. Toss filling ingredients together. Pour into a pie shell. Dot the top with 2 TBLSP butter. Top with crust and crimp edges.
Place on a foiled cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes at 450°. Reduce heat to 375°and continue baking for another 30-40 minutes.
Mix 1 egg yolk with the cream or milk. Brush on pie, avoiding the edges if they are browning too quickly. Sprinkle the brown sugar on top and return to the oven for 10 minutes, or until bubbly.
Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream, if desired.
