MMM, fond childhood favorites! You know... the kind where just the thought of them make you smile- your mouth begins to water as those phantom aromas overwhelm your senses? For me, many a delicious childhood memory circumvented a toasty kitchen, filled with the promising aroma of wonderful things to eat.
Now, no one could make bread like mom… Warm fragrant bread straight out of the oven with fresh butter. YES, please! But when it came to pies… my dad was king! Let me tell you, his title was rightly earned. No one challenged his pie-making authority. It was always one of two kinds: either hand-picked apple or freshly picked-blackberry. And both were DECADENT!
Some of my favorite memories include hiking with my dad on the family-owned farm... wild blackberries and apple trees were abundant. After filling our baskets, overflowing with the season’s finest, it was BAKING TIME! Dad’s famous pies always included a rolled out a bottom crust with a mouth-watering crumble
top. He kept it simple, but within the simplicity, lay irresistible perfection! Apple juices would mingle into the crusty layers, making a somewhat gooey texture. But the top was always dry and buttery- the flakey pieces would melt in your mouth with EVERY bite!
Did you know that apple pie always tastes best when you use a variety of apples? Sweet, Tangy, tart, crisp. That old proverb, “The More the Merrier,” couldn’t be truer than when crafting an apple pie masterpiece. SO, now that you know what to do with all those beautiful apple varieties you are seeing in the stores and at local farmer's markets, let’s get baking!
Using CorEats Paleo or Keto pie crusts, you can make one bottom crust rolled out and one pie crust for crumble. You can even skip the bottom crust and just make a crumble top.
*To make a crumble top, follow steps 1-6. Instead of continuing on to form a ball, leave the dough crumbly. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill while preparing the apple filling.
Apple Filling:
8 Small to medium-sized apples, peeled, cored and sliced. (use a variety for best results)
¾ cup coconut or maple sugar (I use Granular Lakanto Golden Monk Fruit for a zero-glycemic impact)
¼ cup Butter (*or Soy-Free Earth Balance)
3 Tbsp arrowroot flour (* substitute equally with cassava, or replace 1 tbsp coconut flour)
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375°
2. In a small bowl mix together sugar, starch, and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. Squeeze lemon over peeled, cored and sliced apples. Toss to coat.
4. Pour sugar mixture over apples to coat evenly.
5. Scoop apples into prepared pie crust.
6. Pour any remaining liquid over apples. *If there is more than ½ cup of liquid, pour into a small saucepan and bring to a boil to thicken. Once it starts to thicken pour over apples.
7. Slice cold butter onto the top of your pie.
8. Add crumble topping. If using a top crust, make a couple of vent slices into the top.
9. Bake 375° for 15 min. Lightly cover your pie, placing a flat sheet of foil on top. Reduce oven temp to 350° for an additional 45-60 minutes. You will know it's getting close when the top bubbles. Make sure it's bubbling for a min of 10 minutes- the bubbling liquid is ready when it has a thick, syrupy look. Another way to test if done is to insert a toothpick into the center. If you feel resistance pushing through an apple, the fruit has not cooked long enough.
Enjoy!
