Spiced Apple Pie Recipes

Steps:

• For crust:
• Combine flour, sugar, salt and mace in processor. Using on/off turns, cut in chilled butter and vegetable shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal. Gradually blend in enough water by tablespoonfuls to form moist clumps. Gather dough into ball. Divide dough into 2 pieces. Flatten each into disk. Wrap each in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Keep refrigerated. Soften dough slightly at room temperature before rolling.)
• For filling:
• Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 400°F. In large bowl, toss apples with 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon peel, mace, cloves and allspice.
• Roll out 1 dough disk on lightly floured surface to 12-inch-diameter round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter deep dish glass pie plate. Trim dough overhang to 1/2 inch. Brush edge of crust lightly with water. Transfer apple mixture to crust, mounding in center. Roll out second dough disk to 12-inch-diameter round. Place atop apples. Trim dough overhang to 1 inch: reserve scraps. Fold top crust edge under bottom crust edge, pressing to seal. Crimp edge decoratively.
• Reroll pastry scraps and cut out leaf shapes. Brush 1 side of each leaf with milk and arrange, milk side down, decoratively atop crust. Cut several slits in crust to allow steam to escape. Brush crust with milk; sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon sugar.
• Place pie on baking sheet. Bake until crust is golden brown and juices bubble, covering crust edges with aluminum foil if browning too quickly, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Transfer pie to rack and cool.

Steps:

• Dough:
• Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl. Rub 1/4 cup of the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers until completely absorbed. Then rub in the remaining butter until it resembles cornmeal mixed with pea-size bits of butter. (If it gets warm and sticky, refrigerate it to chill.)
• Beat the egg with 3 tablespoons of the water; then drizzle it evenly over the dough. Lightly stir the dough together with a fork. (The dough should just hold together when you squeeze it together, with some dry crumbly bits.) If the dough is really dry, sprinkle it with the final tablespoon of water. (To make the dough in food processor, see below.)
• Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap and shape into disks. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. (The dough can be frozen for 2 months. Defrost dough in the fridge overnight.)
• Filling:
• Finely grate the lemon zest and set aside. Peel, core and then slice both the apple and pear into 1/2-inch slices. Squeeze the lemon juice over the fruit, then toss fruit with the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt and nutmeg.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fruit and cook, stirring until the sugar dissolves and juices simmer, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, uncovered, until the fruit softens and the juices evaporate some, about 10 minutes. Evenly mix the flour into the fruit; then cook about a minute more to thicken the juices slightly. Stir in the vanilla and lemon zest; and remove from the heat. (The filling should resemble a tight compote.) Cool completely.
• Form the pie:
• Lightly dust the work surface with flour. Roll a disk of dough into an 11 to 12-inch circle. Transfer the dough to 9-inch glass pie pan (see photo), trimming so it hangs about 1/2-inch over the edge of the pan. Fill the crust with the prepared fruit so it mounds slightly in the center. Roll the remaining dough into a 12-inch circle. Brush the rim of the crust with some of the egg.
• Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and unroll it over the fruit so it hangs over the edge of the pie pan by about 1/2-inch. Trim crust if needed, reserving the scraps for decorations or for patching, if needed. Fold the top crust edge under the bottom one, then press the edges together to seal. Cut trimmed scraps into designs if desired and set aside. Flute the crust by pressing a finger into the crust against the other hand's index finger and thumb to make an even impression. Repeat every 1/2 inch around the pie to create a ruffled edge (see photo). Refrigerate the pie for at least 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat to 425 degrees F.
• Brush pie with egg and place cut dough designs on top if desired. Brush again and sprinkle with sugar. Cut 6 to 8 small steam vents into the top of the dough. Place pie on a baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F. Bake until the crust (both top and bottom) is golden brown, about 50 minutes more. If the edges begin to brown too quickly, cut a pie shield out of a piece of aluminum foil and cover the edges (see photo). Cool on a rack.
• Serve pie warm or at room temperature with whipped or ice cream. Keep pie, covered, at room temperature for a day, or refrigerate for up to four.

Steps:

• Line a 9-in. pie plate with bottom pastry; trim even with edge. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, egg yolk, pineapple juice and vanilla until well blended.(mixture will appear curdled). Combine the flour, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Fill crust with apple slices. Top with the creamed mixture., Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie; place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. cut slits in top. Beat egg white; brush over pastry. Sprinkle with additional sugar. , Bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, butter, vinegar and vanilla extract. Stir wet ingredients into the dry mixture. Pour entire mixture into the pie shell.
• Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for 50 minutes or until firm. Cool on a rack.

Steps:

• Mix cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cardamom together in an airtight container.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Peel, core and quarter the apples, then cut into 1cm slices. Toss together with the lemon juice, then dab dry with kitchen paper so that the pie isn't too watery. If you are using whole cardamom pods, split open the shell, remove the seed from inside and grind using a pestle and mortar. Mix into the apples with the flour and sugar, then toss to get everything coated.
• Cut away a third of the pastry to divide into two pieces. Dust a little flour over a work surface, then roll out the larger piece to roughly 28cm wide and as thick as a £1 coin. Lift the pastry up (try loosely wrapping around a rolling pin) and spread over the bottom of a 22cm pie dish. Roll out the smaller piece of pastry a little larger than the top of the pie.
• Pile up the apples inside and paint around the rim of the pie with milk. Lift the smaller circle of pastry on top. Press down to seal the pie, then trim around the edge of the pie with a sharp knife and discard the excess pastry. Use your fingers to indent around the pie and form a crimped edge.
• Make a few slits in the pastry so that steam can escape, then brush all over with milk and sprinkle with extra sugar. Bake for 20 mins, then reduce oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5 and cook for 50 mins-1hr until the pastry is golden and crisp. If it starts to darken too much, cover with tin foil, but make sure you cook it uncovered for the final 10 mins so that the pastry can crisp. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream, ice cream or custard.

Steps:

• Combine sugar, flour, butter, lemon zest, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg in a food processor.
• Process until well blended.
• Spread one-third of the sugar mixture over an unbaked pie crust.
• Arrange apple slices, in an overlapping pattern, on top of the sugar mixture.
• Top with the remaining sugar mixture.
• Bake on 400 degrees for 45-55 minutes, until crust is lightly browned.
• Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Arrange pecans, with rounded sides facing down, on the bottom of a 9-in. deep-dish pie plate; drizzle with butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar; press lightly., Roll out dough to fit the pie plate; place over brown sugar. Press the crust firmly against brown sugar and sides of pie plate. Trim edges., In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, pie spice and nutmeg. Add the apples, lemon juice and vanilla; toss to coat. Fill crust. Roll out remaining dough to fit top of pie; place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Cut slits in crust., Place a foil-lined baking sheet on a rack below the pie to catch any spills. Bake pie at 450° for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°. Bake until top is golden brown and apples are tender, 40-45 minutes longer. Cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Serve warm., PASTRY FOR DOUBLE CRUST PIE, Combine 21/2 cups all-purpose flour and 1/2 tsp salt; cut in 1 cup cold butter until crumbly. Gradually add 1/3=2/3 cup ice water, tossing with a fork until the dough in half. Shape each into a disk; wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.

Steps:

• For streusel:
• Combine nuts, brown sugar, cornmeal, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in processor. Using on/off turns, process until nuts are finely chopped. Add butter and process until small moist clumps form. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• For filling:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Toss apples with sour cream in large bowl to coat. Mix sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in small bowl. Sprinkle mixture over apples and toss to coat.
• Transfer filling to prepared crust. Sprinkle streusel over apples, covering completely. Bake pie until apples are tender and streusel is golden, tenting pie with foil if streusel browns too quickly, about 1 hour. Transfer pie to rack and cool slightly.
• Serve pie slightly warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream.

Steps:

• Cut the chilled butter into chunks, each about the size of a sugar cube.
• Sift the flour into a bowl then add the sugar , cinnamon and the salt if you are using it. Add the butter chunks evenly over the surface of the flour.
• Using your thumb and forefingers, rub the butter into the flour (this is easier with smaller chunks of butter). Continue until the butter is all incorporated. The mix should resemble biscuit/bread crumbs when it is ready.
• Add the water a little at a time, mixing thoroughly with a good sized spoon. When the mix reaches a smooth (and slightly sticky) consistency (which should look like cookie-dough), shape it into a ball and wrap it in cling film. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.
• When the dough is nearly chilled, start making the filling. Peel, de-core and cut the apples into orange-segment-sized wedges. Place them in cold water if you are leaving them for any length of time to prevent them from browning.
• Mix the water, muscavado and light-brown sugars, cinnamon, lemon juice (and nutmeg & cloves if being used) in a jug/bowl.
• Melt the butter on a medium-high heat in a deep pan. Put the apples in and stir gently for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the liquid mix to the pan, keeping the heat at medium-high. Keep gently folding the mixture for 5 minutes until the apples begin to look mushy/fluffy (as boiled and shaken potatoes do). The apples will break up to some degree during this process - this is perfectly fine. The apples should all be darkened in colour if you've done this bit right. Leave the filling to cool in the air for about 10 minutes. During this time the fruit will begin to congeal a little more.
• Take the dough from the fridge. Divide it into two balls and roll each one out into a disc, each slightly larger than the top of an 8" diameter pie dish (by about 1" all round). Use a lightly floured surface to prevent sticking; rubbing flour onto the rolling pin will also help. By rolling one way then the other, you can easily achieve a neat circle. I prefer to use my hands to shape and flatten the dough however.
• Rub butter onto the pie dish (including the up-facing lip/edge of the dish). Place the first dough-disc squarely into the dish - make sure it sits flat against the walls of the dish and that it covers the lip of the dish, with a little extra (which you will trim in a minute).
• It is time to add the filling now - but make sure you drain it well! Either sieve off the liquid or use a slotted spoon to remove as much liquid as possible - if the filling is too wet the pasty will not cook properly. You can keep the liquid to drink, warmed, as a delicious punch, or even use as a sauce if you don't like creamy/custard like sauces on your pie. If you refrigerate it this sauce will thicken up a bit.
• Next whisk up the egg and 2 tablespoons of water. Paint the mixture onto the lip of the pastry (using a pastry brush or your fingertips). This will glue the two halves together.
• Now place your other pastry disc on top of the pie. Using a sharp knife, cut down through the top of the pastry to remove the excess. Use the edge of the pie dish to guide your knife - the pastry should be flush with the edge of the dish.
• Using one or two fingers, work around the edge of the pie, crimping the pastry together. As well as adding an attractive fluted edge to the crust, this will help to glue the edges together.
• Cut a series of 3 or 4 slashes into the top of the pastry, ensuring you go right through. This will allow trapped air to escape and prevent the pastry from cracking open in an uncontrolled manner during cooking. If you have a pie-spout you can use this instead.
• Glaze the top of the pie with more of the egg glaze mix (don't feel that you must use all of it - you'll make the pasty soggy if you do!).
• Use a sieve to dust the top with the icing sugar and cinnamon.
• Place in a preheated oven, middle shelf at around 180 Celcius. Cook for around 30-40 minutes (fan assisted ovens will be quicker).
• When the top is browned and the pastry is firm all over take the dish from the oven and cool on a wire rack for around 20-30 minutes. DO NOT remove the pie from the dish until it has cooled as it will most likely disintegrate!
• To make the Crème Anglaise sauce, place the milk in a pan. Add the sugar and vanilla (if using vanilla pods, you can use the seeds from a pod, and or the pod itself. I have successfully used a pod which has been in a box of sugar for 3 months to make vanilla sugar and it worked perfectly). Heat gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to allow the vanilla to infuse into the milk properly.
• In a jug/bowl, place the cornflour and add a little milk (roughly 1 tablespoon milk to 2 tablespoons of cornflour). Stir thoroughly until it forms a thick paste, adding a little more milk if necessary.
• Pour the mix into the milk pan, stirring it in thoroughly. Bring the milk to a boil, stirring continuously all the while. Be very careful and make sure you are using a non-stick pan here as the sauce can easily burn on the bottom. As soon as the sauce thickens to the consistency of custard/thick pureed soup, remove it from the heat. Continue to stir for a while to make sure the latent heat does not burn the sauce at the bottom of the pan.
• Pour liberally (hot or cold) onto hot or cold apple pie and enjoy!