Apple Pie is one of my favorite desserts to make. My recipe is easy as pie, pun intended. No really, its super simple, anyone can make it and it's almost fool proof and it's never ever watery. With apples in hand this weekend from my in-laws trip to the Warwick Winery, I decided to make my apple pie but add a little twist to it.
You'll need a few simple ingredients. Granny Smith apples, packaged pie crust, honey, chopped walnuts, cinnamon, white and brown sugar, butter and flour.
I fell in love with this Greek honey I was given as a favor at my cousins wedding last weekend. It's an all natural honey from Crete, made only from old established hives. The flavor is so intense and it's super thick. It's actually the reason I decided I wanted to mix up my recipe this year.
Peel all the apples.
Then you'll need to core and slice the apples. My husband bought me this apple corer last year since I was making so many apple pies. It's now one of my favorite tools in the kitchen.
With one quick motion your apple is cored and sliced. Voila!
I like to leave my apples sliced, but if you would like to chop them up more that is fine as well.
Put the sliced apples in a bowl and mix in some cinnamon to coat. Also add the chopped walnuts at this time. I forgot and added them later but now would be the appropriate time.
Put pie crust at the bottom of a 9" pie pan. Add in the apples. It will seem like you have way too many apples in your pan, but trust me it's ok. Each slice will get eaten...more like each crumb as you cry that you have none left.
Now lay out your other pie crust on a floured surface.
Slice about 1" strips throughout. This will become your lattice pattern. Easy peasy so far right?
Now drape the strips about an 1" apart over the top of the pie, pinching down on the ends to secure it to the bottom pie crust.
Then go the other direction with the strips thus making a lattice pattern.
Now for the part that makes this pie so sweet and caramelized and unlike any other. This is also the part that I was referring to when I said this recipe is "almost fool proof". If you don't watch the sauce carefully it will burn. Trust me, happened to me today. This is my second batch.
Melt butter in a saucepan.
Add flour and mix to thicken.
Then add brown and white sugar. Mix again.
Now add your honey. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and let simmer for 5 minutes till it's nice and thick.
Now your going to slowly pour that bubbling concoction of goodness over the top of your pie, letting it run through the lattice work to cover the apples.
Pour slowly because this will spill over the edges.
Try to cover as much of the top as possible with the sauce. This will ensure a nice golden carmalization of your crust.
Once you've used up all your sauce you can lick the remaining bits out of the saucepan like I like to do. It's so yummy. Like homemade caramel.
Then it goes in the oven to soften the apples, crisp up the crust and harden the caramel.
And out comes your creation. Looks good enough to grace a magazine cover and delicious enough to eat in one sitting.
Serve warm.
I like mine with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of honey over top. This pie is sure to satisfy your fall craving for some good hearty desserts to warm the soul.
Ingredients:
8 Granny Smith Apples, peeled cored and sliced
1/2 cup Honey
1/4 cup White Sugar
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
1 pre-packaged pie crust
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tbsp Cinnamon
Directions:
Preaheat oven to 425 degrees. Peel, core and slice all the apples. Put slices in a bowl and add the cinnamon and walnuts. Mix well. Put the pie crust on the bottom of your 9" pie pan. Top with apples.
Lay top pie crust on a floured surface. Cut into 1" strips. Lay strips 1" apart on top of apples in one direction, then in the other direction creating a criss cross pattern.
Then begin making the sauce. Melt butter in saucepan. Add flour and mix till thickened. Then add white and brown sugar. Stir to combine. Now add the honey and bring to a boil. Lower tempeture and simmer for 5 minutes to till thick and bubbling.
Slowly pour sauce over top the pie making sure it does not spill over the edges. Try to cover the entire top of the pie with the sauce.
Bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees. Then lower temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 35 minutes.
Serve warm with a drizzle of honey over top. Bon Appetit!
