Apple Pie

Brenda Winiarski

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Alright, alright… I heard all of you loud and clear. You want apple pie, not apple cake for Thanksgiving. I have been playing with a low protein pie dough recipe for many years and was never thrilled with the results (which is why up until now there is no pie recipe on the site). The dough was not flaky enough, was too delicate to roll out and the bottom crust was always soggy and starchy. Determined to get it right this year, I have been making way too many pies lately and gaining way too much weight before the holiday season has even begun. I think you will all agree that the end result is well worth the extra fat roll on my belly. If you have a food processor, use the slicing blade for your apples and cut your prep time dramatically. When I saw the technique of cooking the apples slightly to prevent the soggy bottom crust, I gave it a try and the results were incredible (thanks Cooks Illustrated). Make sure the apples are completely cooled before assembling the pie or the butter will melt in the crust and you will not get a nice flaky crust. I plan on making and freezing the pie dough this week and preparing the pie up to step 5 the day before Thanksgiving. The phe content for the double pie crust is 228 mg in case you want to play with your own fillings.

Apple Pie

Alright, alright… I heard all of you loud and clear. You want apple pie, not apple cake for Thanksgiving. I have been playing with a low protein pie dough recipe for many years and was never thrilled with the results (which is why up until now there is no pie recipe on the site). The dough was not flaky enough, was too delicate to roll out and the bottom crust was always soggy and starchy. Determined to get it right this year, I have been making way too many pies lately and gaining way too much weight before the holiday season has even begun. I think you will all agree that the end result is well worth the extra fat roll on my belly. If you have a food processor, use the slicing blade for your apples and cut your prep time dramatically. When I saw the technique of cooking the apples slightly to prevent the soggy bottom crust, I gave it a try and the results were incredible (thanks Cooks Illustrated). Make sure the apples are completely cooled before assembling the pie or the butter will melt in the crust and you will not get a nice flaky crust. I plan on making and freezing the pie dough this week and preparing the pie up to step 5 the day before Thanksgiving. The phe content for the double pie crust is 228 mg in case you want to play with your own fillings.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 8 slice
Course: Desserts, Pies & Cobblers
Calories: 503.8
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

PIE DOUGH
  • 2 c Cook for Love Baking Mix
  • 1/2 c Tapioca Flour/Starch
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 1/4 tsp Xanthan Gum
  • 2 TBSP Sugar
—
  • 12 TBSP Butter (1 1/2 sticks) cold and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
  • 4 TBSP Vegetable Shortening cold and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
  • 1/2 c Water ice cold
APPLE FILLING
  • 6 c Tart Apples, such as Granny Smith (5) peeled, cored, and slices 1/4 inch thick
  • 6 c Firm Sweet Apple, such as Braeburn or McIntosh (5) peeled, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick
  • 1/2 c Sugar
  • 1/4 c Light Brown Sugar, packed
  • 1/2 tsp Lemon Peel (zest), fresh
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon, ground
  • 1 TBSP Lemon Juice
  • 1 TBSP Pure Maple Syrup to aid in browning

Method
 

  1. Mix baking mix, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, salt and sugar in food processor fitted with steel blade.
  2. Scatter butter and shortening pieces over starch mixture, pulse eight times, 1-second pulses. Turn mixture into medium bowl. (To do this by hand, freeze the stick of butter until it is very firm. Whisk dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add the chilled shortening and press it into the flour using a fork. Grate the frozen butter on the large holes of a box grater, then cut the mixture together, using butter knives, until it resembles coarse crumbs.)
  3. Sprinkle the ice water over mixture. With a rubber spatula, press down on dough with broad side of spatula until dough sticks together. Shape dough into two balls with your hands, flatten into 4-inch-wide disks. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to 2 days, before rolling. You can also freeze up to one month.
  4. Remove dough from refrigerator. If stiff and very cold, let stand until dough is cool but malleable.
  5. Roll one dough disk on a lightly starched surface into a 12-inch circle. Fold dough in quarters, then place dough point in center of 9-inch Pyrex regular or deep dish pie pan. Unfold dough.
  6. Gently press dough into sides of pan leaving portion that overhangs lip of pie plate in place. Roll the other disk of dough into a 12-inch circle on a lightly starched area, then transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet; cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate both while preparing fruit.
  7. Toss the apples, sugars, lemon zest, salt and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Cook the mixture in a dutch oven, or pot over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the apples are tender but hold their shape, about 10 minutes. Transfer the apples to a rimmed baking sheet to cool down to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
  8. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  9. Set the apples in a large colander over a large bowl, and drain off as much of the juice as possible, reserving ¼ cup. Stir in the lemon juice to the reserved liquid.
  10. Spread the cooled apples into the dough-lined pie plate, mounding them slightly in the middle. Pour reserved juice on top. Loosely roll the top crust around your rolling pin and then gently unroll it over the filled pie crust. Trim, fold and crimp the edges and cut 4 vent holes in the top. Brush the crust with the maple syrup.
  11. Place the pie on a baking sheet lined with foil (for easy clean-up) and bake for 25 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue to bake for 30 minutes. Let the pie cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before serving.

Notes

Per serving — Phe: 40.9 mg | Protein: 1.05 g | Calories: 504 | PKU exchanges: 2.73
Tip: You can make the pie dough up to a month in advance and store in the freezer. Once baked and cooled, the pie can be covered loosely with plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to one day. To serve warm, just reheat in a 300 degree oven for about 15 minutes.
Reader Q&A:
Q: Can I substitute corn starch for the tapioca starch? Thanks! A: Corn starch and tapioca starch have different baking properties. Tapioca makes things crisper and gives a little chew, which helps when there is very little gluten in a baked good.
Brenda
Q: Do you think very-cold, refined coconut oil might work as a butter substitute? Would you recommend I adjust any other ingredients if I make this sub? I’m hoping to make a dairy-free pie. Thanks! A: Hey Iris,
I think it would likely work. Butter is 85% fat and 15% water and coconut oil is 100% fat, so if it does not work right, you might need to cut back on the fat by a tablespoon and add an extra tablespoon of water.
Brenda