Apple Cranberry Pie

This apple cranberry pie is a double-crusted fruit pie, and thus satisfies the signature bake from The Great British Bake Off Series 4, Episode 4.

I made two of these pies for friends for Pi Day. Both seemed to enjoy the pie. It is not a particularly difficult pie to make, but can be slightly time-consuming between the preparation and the bake time.

The first step is to prepare the crust. This is a slight variation to my standard shortcrust pastry- I add a tiny bit of sugar. The addition of vodka or rum helps the crust come out nicely flakey, since it adds liquid to help the dough roll nicely without activating gluten (which can make the crust leathery). 

It is important to make sure the dough is cold before baking. Most recipes call for completely chilling the dough before rolling it out, but I personally find that it's extremely difficult to roll if it's too cold. I chill for about 15 minutes, roll it out, and then chill a further 20-30 minutes once in the pie dish.

This pie is not just a standard apple pie with cranberries added in (although I'm sure that would be good as well). I have two special ingredients: thyme and honey. The honey gives a little richer a flavor than just plain while being lighter than brown sugar or molasses. The thyme should be enough to convey a herbaceous savory flavor, but not enough to overpower.

It is important to slice the apples uniformly so that they cook evenly. I prefer a thinner slice; it makes it easier to spread the apples evenly in the pie without leaving gaps- hence more filling! It is also important to cut slits in the crust so that steam can escape during baking.

The finished product: a delicious pie. 

Coming soon, more entremet postings and an American-style lime pie.

Apple Cranberry Pie

Ingredients

Crust:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 sticks (1/2 lb) unsalted butter, cubed

2 tbsp rum or vodka

2-4 tbsp cold water, as needed

Apple Cranberry Filling:

3 large granny smith apples, peeled and cored

1 cup frozen cranberries

10 sprigs thyme

2 tbsp corn starch

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cloves

Egg wash:

1 large egg

1 tbsp water

1 tsp honey

Instructions

1. Prepare crust. Mix together flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in butter with fingers or with a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse crumbles. Add in rum and then add cold water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough just barely comes together. Knead the dough just two or three times to avoid overworking. Separate dough into two parts. Cover each in clingfilm and refrigerate about 30 minutes.

2. While pastry dough is chilling, prepare filling. Peel and core the apples, then slice them thinly. Add cranberries in with apples in a large mixing bowl. Add corn starch and toss to coat. Add thyme,  brown sugar, honey, salt, ground ginger, and ground cloves, and mix together thoroughly.

3. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).

4. Remove dough from refrigerator. Roll out both sections of dough on a lightly floured surface until approximately 1/4 inch thick and about 11 inches in diameter. Carefully drape one crust over a 9-inch pie dish; press down in corners to make the crust fully flush with the sides.

5. Add filling to the lower pastry crust. Spread it evenly to avoid large gaps and until it is domed up slightly above the level of the rim of the pie dish. 

6. Add the second pastry crust on top. Use a fork or fingers to pinch the two crust edges together. Use a knife to cut off any excessive overhanging crust. Be careful to not cut too much, because the crust contracts slightly when it bakes. Cut slits in the top pie crust.

7. Prepare egg wash by mixing egg, water, and honey together until homogenous. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the top crust with the egg wash.

8. Bake 15-20 minutes. Add aluminum foil over the edges of the pie crust to prevent burning and return to oven. Lower oven temperature to 350°F (180°C), and bake another 45-50 minutes.

9. Remove pie from oven and let cool slightly before serving.