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Ruby Apple Pie
Give your holiday pie color and flavor with a mix of cranberries and apples. Unlike whole berry pies, this recipe features puree made from fresh cranberries for flavor in every bite. You can decorate the top with lattice strips or pastry cut-outs. I include make-ahead directions for holiday baking.
Prep pastry: 20 minutes
Prep filling & topping: 50 minutes
Bake: 43-47 minutes
Bake at: 400°
Makes: 6 servings
Pan: 6-inch pie plate
Difficulty: intermediate
Ingredients:
Pie Pastry:
Double crust unbaked 6-inch Pie Pastry
Filling:
1 3/4 cup (6 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries
2 tablespoons water
1 pound of Golden Delicious apples (3 cups peeled, cored, and sliced)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2/3 cup (142g) dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (see "tips")
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 tablespoons (19g) all-purpose flour
Praline Topping:
1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped
1/4 cup (30g) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (26g) dark brown sugar
Small pinch salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
Melted butter to brush top crust before baking (optional)
Directions:
Using my double crust 6-inch Basic Pie Pastry recipe, prepare dough and refrigerate disks for pie plate and top crust until needed. Follow directions below to finish preparation.
To make filling: In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring cranberries and water to a simmer and then cook on low until cranberries burst, about 7 minutes. Press the cranberries through a wire mesh sieve into a bowl, discard pulp, and return puree to cooled saucepan.
While cranberries are cooking, peel, core and slice the apples to 1/4" thickness. Place apples in a medium bowl and mix with lemon juice.
Add dark brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and flour to cranberry puree in saucepan and stir together. Add apples to saucepan and stir.
Turn on heat and bring filling to a boil, stirring constantly. Removesaucepan from heat, transfer to a bowl, cover, and chill until needed.
To make topping: Finely chop the pecans and set aside. Add flour, dark brown sugar, and salt to a small bowl and whisk together. Cut butter into 1/4" pieces and add to flour mixture. Rub together with your hands until butter is a mix of large and small pieces. Stir pecans into flour mixture. Cover and chill until needed.
Pre-heat the oven to 400°.
To finish pie pastry preparation: Remove dough disks for pie plate and top crust from refrigerator. Let dough warm on counter for 10 minutes until malleable.
On a lightly floured board, roll out large piece to 1/8" thickness until 2" larger than top of pan. Unless using a non-stick pie plate, lightly coat with cooking spray and wipe out excess. Drape pastry over pie plate and lightly press into place. Trim excess and flute edges as desired.
Roll out small piece to 1/4" thickness and make 8 lattice strips or decorative cut-outs.
To assemble pie: Spoon filling into pie plate and mound in center. Spread topping evenly over pie. Arrange lattice strips or cut-outs on top. Brush fluted edge of crust and lattice strips or cut-outs with melted butter, if desired.
Bake pie at 400° for 43-47 minutes in lower third of oven until crust is brown and filling begins to bubble. To prevent spillage, place pie plate on a baking tray lined with aluminum foil. Remove pie to a wire rack to cool. Serve pie at room temperature or cover and chill until needed. Leftover pie slices freeze well and can be thawed in the refrigerator.
Make-Ahead Directions:
- 2 days ahead: Make pie pastry. Wrap well and freeze small piece used for lattice strips or cut-outs. Roll out large piece and line pie plate, fluting edges; wrap pie plate and freeze.
- 1 day ahead: Make pie filling and topping. Cover each and chill. Take pastry out of freezer and place in refrigerator right before you go to bed.
- Day needed: Roll out small piece of dough and cut up as desired. Add filling and topping to pie plate. Arrange lattice or cut-outs on top. Bake as directed.
- If you prefer, start 3 days ahead and make pie 1 day before needed. Allow refrigerated pie to come to room temperature before serving.
Tips:
- If you do not want to go to the trouble of making lattice strips or cut-outs, the Praline Topping is sufficient. See my 6-inch Basic Pie Pastry Recipe for single crust directions.
- 1 pound of Golden Delicious apples equals 2 apples.
- You can use scant 1 teaspoon apple pie spice in place of individual spices.