Recently, we installed a new stove/oven on the boat--our first functional oven in 8 yers--so for Valentine's Day, I had this ridiculous urge to make an Apple Pie for the first time in yonks. But I'm always disappointed in how bland most apple pie is--I like my food with a bit of bite or complexity or something. So I set out to make a Spicy Apple Pie. But, of course, I am incapable of letting things alone....
I got some Granny Smith apples, then I thought "Raisins would be nice, too, and how 'bout some walnuts?" So I got those, too. And a frozen crust (since I don't have room to make pastry, but it's cold enough here, at the moment, to leave the pasty outside to stay chilled, so I didn't have to worry about the tiny size of my fridge.)
First I put the raisins--which were very dry--into hot water to soak. I'd considered sacrificing the last of the Woodford Reserve Bourbon, but decided that was overkill. Then on to the apples. I had forgotten what a pain paring apples is, but I got it done--ending up with a small heap of slippery green skins and cores on the galley counter and two bowls of sliced apples with lemon juice sprinkled on them to keep them nice. Then I mixed up the sugar/spice mixture. No brown sugar on board, so I had to make do with plain white granulated. Threw in about twice as much cinnamon as I remembered, a heaping teaspoon of nutmeg, teaspoon of ground ginger, about half a teaspoon of cayenne, 2 tablespoons of flour and half a cup of chopped walnuts.
Mixed all that with the apples and drained raisins and stuffed it into the deep-dish crust with the second crust draped on the top and brushed with egg and baked until golden.
It looked pretty weird when it came out, since I hadn't got the crust quite right and the apples had subsided when they cooked so the crust was sticking up, like a chef's hat in the middle, but broke on one side when I tried to get it out of the oven and the cheap foil pan sagged and deformed. (Forgot to put it on a baking sheet.) And I hadn't put in enough flour, so, when the pie was cut, the juice was runny and pooling in the bottom of the pan. The first slice wouldn't hold together and fell apart as I tried to get it onto the plate, revealing layers of apple with raisins and nuts peeking and dribbling all over the place.
But, man it tasted delicious! Spicy and sweet and tart all at once. Maybe a touch too much cayenne and too little flour--and next time I'll put a cookie sheet under that sucker, but it was most excellently tasty.
Here's the (adjusted) recipe if you want to try it:
7 medium or 8 small Granny Smith Apples, pared and sliced
2/3 cup granulated sugar (can use 50% brown sugar instead)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 coarsely chopped walnuts (optional, or pecans may be substituted)
3-4 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (preferably very fresh)
1 rounded teaspoon ground nutmeg (again, the fresher the better)
1 teaspoon ground ginger (1/2 teaspoon fresh grated may be substituted)
1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (more for "hot" pie, less for "mild")
3 tablespoons lemon juice
crust for a 9" 2-crust, deep-dish pie
1/2 cup bourbon or dark, flavorful rum (optional)
1/4 cup beaten egg or egg substitute (optional)
1/2 stick of butter (if you use the bourbon/rum)
Soak raisins in hot water or room temperature bourbon/rum for a minimum of 20 minutes to 1 hour (an hour for full bourbon/rum flavor in the fruit).
Clean, pare and slice the apples. sprinkle with lemon juice to avoid discoloration.
Prepare pie dish with crust and set aside.
Preheat oven to 425F
In a large cup or medium bowl, mix all dry ingredients: sugar(s) flour, salt, spices, nuts, pepper. Use 4 tablespoons of flour if the raisins have been soaked in alcohol or the apples are producing a lot of juice. Less if the apples are dry or the raisins have been soaked in water.
Drain the raisins and add to apples.
In an extra-large bowl, mix dry ingredients with apples and raisins, plus any juice the apples have produced, until the apples are thoroughly and evenly coated with the sugar/spice/flour mixture.
Arrange the filling in prepared pie crust so the apple slices are densely packed (to minimize collapsing during baking.) Scrape and pour any juice or syrup that has formed in the bowl over the top of the apples. If you have used bourbon/rum to soak the raisins, dot the apples with butter before putting on the top crust. Otherwise, apply the top crust and seal to bottom crust and pierce upper crust several times with a sharp knife to let the steam out. Brush top crust with beaten egg and a sprinkle of white sugar, if desired.
Bake at 425 for 35-45 minutes or until crust is golden. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes before serving.
Makes one very deep 9" pie.
Notes:
Brown sugar, alcohol-soaked raisins, and butter will all change the taste and final character of the pie, so feel free to adjust to your taste. I find that the pie tastes richer if you include butter with the bourbon raisins, but you won't miss it if you don't put it on. The pie has a nicely tart taste with a bit of bite, but not too much and more complex flavor than you expect from dessert.
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