Recipe: Maple-Apple Pie With Brown Sugar Crust

From the Kitchen Window column

I've long been a fan of the olive oil crust and use it whenever I bake pies. Here, maple syrup-sweetened apple slices are the perfect finish to any holiday meal. They taste completely of fall, and bring the outside in.

Makes 8 servings

Crust

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Pinch salt

1/4 cup brown sugar

5 tablespoons olive oil

Ice water

Filling

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Pinch ground cloves

5 to 6 large apples (Granny Smith works well), peeled, cored and sliced

1/2 cup maple syrup

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

For the crust, combine flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Add the olive oil 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing with a fork until the flour resembles coarse meal. Add the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing with a fork, until the mixture begins to hold together. Form lightly into a ball with your hands and wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper. Let dough rest in the fridge at least 20 minutes.

For the filling, in a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Toss the apples with the dry mixture. Drizzle in the maple syrup and toss well to coat with the syrup and flour.

Remove dough from fridge and divide into 2 balls. Roll out half the dough and fit it into a 9-inch pie pan, letting some dough hang over the edge. Pile in the apples. Roll out the other half of the dough and fit it over the pan, pressing and crimping along the edge with a fork. Cut a few vents in the top of the pie.

Place pan on a cookie sheet to catch any drips and place in oven. Bake 10 minutes, then lower heat to 350. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until crust is lightly browned and filling is bubbling. Remove from oven and let rest about 15 minutes before serving.

Copyright 2013 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

Filed in:

• Recipes
• Food
• Arts & Life