Recipes for a life without processed sugars and artificial sweeteners.

Friday, August 10, 2012

Easy As Pie!

                                                            Sugar-Free Apple Pie



This pie has no added sugars or artificial sweeteners.  Instead, it relies on the natural sweetness of the apples.  If you like your apple pie to have a little zip in it, use tart apples like Lodi or Granny Smith.  For sweeter pies, use sweeter apples like Fuji, Macintosh, or Red Delicious.

This recipe makes 2 pies, so you can freeze the extra one or give it to a friend!

Pie Crust:

1 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 egg
1 tsp vinegar
cold water

Using a pastry cutter, blend shortening, flours, and salt until you have a fine mealy texture.  Beat the egg with the vinegar, then add enough cold water to make 1/2 cup of liquid.  Stir the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and mix well.  Knead the dough together with your hands to make a firm ball, then divide the ball into quarters.  Roll two of the quarters out to about 1/4 inch thickness and place in 2 prepared 9-inch pie pans.

Apple Pie Filling:

8 cups peeled, chopped apples (about 1 kilogram/ 2 pounds)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup unsweetened apple juice
1 TBSP butter
1 TBSP maple syrup
1 tsp corn starch

Peel and chop apples.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and toss well to coat.

In a small saucepan, combine apple juice, butter, maple syrup, and corn starch.  Bring to a boil, then simmer until thickened.  Let cool slightly, then pour over apples and toss well to coat.

Pour half of the filling into each prepared pie crust, then roll the remaining crust sections to make a top crust.  Place top crust over filling and crimp well.  (Remember to cut a steam vent into the top crust!)

Brush the tops of the pies with an egg wash: Beat 1 egg with 3 TBSP cold water.  Using a pastry brush or a sheet of paper towel, brush liberally over the tops of the pies.

Bake in a 350° oven for about 40 minutes or until the tops of the pies are golden brown.


Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream (no sugar added, of course!), or cool and enjoy with a big slice of old cheddar.

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