Bella Dawson/High Country Baking
I’ve never met an apple pie I didn’t like, but this one is outstanding and deserves a place on your holiday table. Instead of the common combination of apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, this recipe mixes apples with gingersnaps, orange marmalade, and adds dried cranberries or raisins. The result is sweet and spicy, similar to store-bought mincemeat. Its success depends on choosing flavorful gingersnaps, quality marmalade, and delicious baked apples.
The pie comes together quickly. If you have puff pastry in the freezer or use store-bought, it will be ready in the oven in about 30 minutes. If you don’t want a lattice baking sheet, use a full top crust instead. Not having access to the apples makes it difficult to tell if they are fully baked.
sweet and spicy apple pie
Makes in a standard 9-inch glass pie pan (not a deep dish).
Works at any altitude
material
- Make two pies using your favorite pie crust.
filling
- 1 1/2 pounds baked apples
- 1/3 cup sweet orange marmalade
- 9 tablespoons granulated sugar (divided)
- 1/2 cup gingersnap cookie flour
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries or raisins
- tablespoon or half and half of heavy cream
direction
Get ready: Place rack in center position and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil the bottom of the pie pan.
Prepare the crust. Divide the puff pastry into two equally sized discs. Roll one piece and place it in a glass pie plate. Decoratively crimp the edges and place in the refrigerator. Roll the second disk of dough into a 9-1/2-inch circle. Cut it into six 3/4-inch strips, slide the dough onto a baking sheet and stick it in the freezer.
prepare the stuffing: Peel and core the apples and cut them into 1/3 inch sized cubes. If you don’t make it any bigger, it won’t bake completely when the rest of the pie bakes. Place sweet orange marmalade and 8 tablespoons of granulated sugar in a mixing bowl and stir gently. Add the apple cubes and stir and toss to coat in the marmalade and sugar combination. Sprinkle the gingersnap crumbs on top and stir or toss to evenly distribute them in the mixture. Add cranberries and repeat.
add filling to dough: Spoon the filling into the lined pie pan to 1/4 inch from the edge of the pastry. The stuffing should be level in the pan and completely filled (check for holes or spaces around the crimp edges). Depending on the size of your pie pan, some of the filling may remain. Remove the dough circle from the freezer. If the dough is stiff, warming it a little will allow the strips of dough to bend slightly without breaking, but will still be easier to lift. Space the 3 strips evenly throughout the pie. Cut the end just to fit the crimped edge of the bottom crust and press it into there. Place the remaining three pieces of fabric on top of the first three pieces at a 45 degree angle to each other and do the same. If you have any leftover dough, cut it into small pieces and display it on the lattice. In a small bowl, mix half-and-half with cream or remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and brush over dough strips and curly edges of puff pastry.
bake: Place the pie on a baking sheet and place both in the oven. Bake for 40 to 47 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is thick and bubbly. If the dough turns brown before the filling is completely baked, cover the top loosely with aluminum foil and continue baking until the filling is baked. Carefully remove the apple chunks and take a bite to check. It should be soft.
Serve chilled and store: Transfer the pie to a cooling rack and let cool completely. It’s easiest to cut the pie when it’s completely cool. Serve at room temperature or warm (place slices in a 325 degree oven or microwave until warm to the touch). Ice cream is the perfect accompaniment to a warmed pie. Store at cool room temperature the first day and store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Editor’s note: This recipe was inspired by one published on Bon Appetit.
Vera Dawson’s column, “High Country Baking,” appears biweekly in the Summit Daily News. Dawson is a high altitude baking instructor and she is the author of three high altitude cookbooks. Her recipes have been tested in her Frisco kitchen since 1991 and modified until they can be used at high altitudes. Please contact veradawson1@gmail.com.