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:
1 3/4 cup (210g) all-purpose flour
Rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons shortening, cold
7 tablespoons butter, cold
3-4 tablespoons ice cold water
1/2 tablespoon butter, melted and cooled, to brush lattice strips or cut-outs (optional)
Parchment paper
Cooking spray
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 dark brown sugar (142g)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (see "tips")
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Praline Topping:
1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped
1/4 cup (30g) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, cold
Directions:
To make pie pastry: Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Cut in shortening until crumbly. Slice butter into 1/4" pieces and scatter over flour mixture. Cut in butter until unevenly mixed with somewhat large chunks remaining. Add 1 tablespoon cold water and toss with your hands to combine. Add another tablespoon water and toss. Add any additional water by teaspoons until dough just holds together when squeezed in your hand. Form dough into a ball and place on a sheet of parchment paper. Press into a rectangular shape. Fold top third of dough over and press together. Fold over bottom third and press again. Repeat. Divide dough into two pieces, 2/3 in one piece and 1/3 in the other. Form dough into smooth, round disks, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes to 24 hours.
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 and stir together. Add apples and stir. Turn on heat and bring to boiling while you stir mixture. Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl, cover and chill until needed.
To make topping: Finely chop the pecans and set aside. Add flour and dark brown sugar to a small bowl and whisk together. Cut butter into 1/4" slices 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°.
Remove dough disks from refrigerator. Let warm on counter for 10 minutes until malleable. On a lightly floured board, roll out big piece to 1/8" thickness until 2" larger than top of pie plate. 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. Spoon filling into pie plate and mound in center. Spread topping evenly over pie. Arrange lattice strips or cut-outs on top. Brush 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 to a wire rack to cool. Serve pie at room temperature or cover and chill until needed. Leftover 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 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 don't 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.