Apple Pie (Eggless)

An Apple a day keeps the doctor away!!

Ever wondered why an apple manages to keep the doctor away. What about oranges, banana or for that matter the other fruits...who do they keep away!! 

Well on that humorous note, let us be reminded of the time proven benefits of the wonder and easily available fruit-Apple. Enriched with flavonoids, phenols, phytonutrients and Vit C, it helps prevent heart disease, cancers, tooth decay, neurodegerative diseases, reduces Diabetes and high blood pressure and helps to strengthen our immune system.

Baking Partners theme for this month is Pies. Though we had both sweet and savoury recipes, I chose the traditional Apple pie suggested by Gayathri of Gayathri's Cookspot.  The original recipe calls for the use of eggs but I skipped them to get a eggless crispy Apple pie. 

I have modified the cooking style by pre-baking the pie shell and then adding the cooked apples lined with a lattice arrangement of the remaining pastry and then baking them. 

Ingredients: I have modified the amount of the recipe to get a 6" tart

Pie shell:

• 1/2 cup+4 tbsp all purpose flour
• 30 gms unsalted butter cubes(cold)
• 3 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 tsp milk
• A little cold water for kneading

Filling:

• 2 medium apples 
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp sugar (powdered)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

Procedure:

Pie shell:

Take flour in a bowl, add butter and rub lightly into flour with your fingertips till the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Add sugar, milk and cold water (1 tbsp at a time) and knead the mixture to get a smooth dough.

Wrap in a plastic sheet and refrigerate for half an hour.

Take out the dough (reserve some for the topping)and roll it with a rolling pin on a floured surface. Roll it roughly to a circle with 1/8" thickness. 

Gently press the dough down so that it lines the bottom and sides of the tart tin. Trim excess dough.

Make holes on the sides and bottom with a fork and refrigerate for another half an hour.

Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius. Bake the tarts for 15-20 mins or till they get a light brown colour. Take them out and let them cool.

For a step by step illustration of the above steps please refer here

Filling:

Peel and core the apples. Chop them in pieces and toss immediately with lemon juice to prevent discolouration.

Place the butter and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. When butter has melted, add the apples and cinnamon powder. 

Stir to coat. 

Assembly:

Place the filling in the prepared pie shell with a slotted spoon to drain the excess liquid. 

Reduce the liquid in a saucepan over medium heat to a thick consistency. Now add this thickened fragrant liquid over the chopped apples.

Roll the reserved dough and cut thin strips. Place them on the pie shell with the filling in a lattice arrangement(crisscross) Trim excess. Refrigerate for half an hour(helps the dough to set and prevents shrinkage)

Lattice arrangement

Preheat oven to 180 degree Celsius. Bake the pie or 15-20 mins or till the pastry on top gets a light brown colour.

Enjoy a slice plopped with a dollop of icecream or just like that. You will love the crispness of the pastry with the squishy squashy sweetened and fragrant apples!

Happy Pie Eating
Amrita