THIS MONTH'S PIE // Honey Crisp Apple

When we went to a farm last weekend and picked apples, I went straight for the Honey Crisps (my favorite!) and filled my ponchos with an enormous bundle. I instantly knew what I'd be using these apples for - pie! A classic apple pie is an autumn must-make in my home. The crisp apple smell that radiates from the oven makes my mouth water and reminds me of all things autumn. This apple pie recipe is a little more involved then others, but when you taste this pie, you'll know it was worth the extra effort. Delicious!





Honey Crisp Apple Pie

8 cups of apples (peeled and chopped into bite sized pieces)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon tapioca stach
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (cut into small pieces)


1. Place the cut up apples in a medium bowl. Add in lemon juice and toss the apples until all are well coated.

2. In a small bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar, tapioca starch, cornstarch, Chinese five-spice, and salt. Pour this into the bowl of apples and mix until the apples are again well coated. Set aside and let mixture macerate for 25 minutes.

3. Place a colander over a medium bowl. Then transfer the apples to the colander and scrape down the sides of the bowl to get all the ingredients out. Let the apples drain for 25 minutes.

4. Pour the drained apple juice into a small saucepan, again scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl to get every drop. Bring the apple juice to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and continued to boil the apples juice gently until it thickens, about two minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Once it's room temperature, chill the saucepan in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.

Assemble pie:
5. Pour the apples into an unbaked 9 inch empty pie shell. Make a well in the middle of the apples and pour in the thickened apple juice. Smooth out pie, then take the cut up butter and sprinkle on top of the pie. Finish assembling the pie by making a lattice top, then freeze for 20 minutes.

6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

7. Bake pie for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the crust is dark golden brown and the juices are thick and bubbling. Cool for two hours, then serve and enjoy!

-Claire

{Pie from The Hoosier Mama Book of Pie}