Evan’s Apple Cider-Maple Pie

PIE-A-DAY #65

If you like eating pie for breakfast as I do this is a great pie to try. You’ll notice from the photo of the slice that it’s not too full of apples. The Gravensteins are lovely and become very tender and collapse a bit. If you want a higher pie just use more apples than are called for in the recipe and adapt the other ingredient amounts.

This pie was inspired by a leisurely stroll through one of my favorite gourmet food shops, Surfas in Culver City, CA. There are now officially too many specialty food products to conceivably try all of them, but I like to browse the shelves to see if one catches my eye. I’m always looking to add another layer of flavor to simple dishes I already make. So step into the spotlight, Cider Syrup made by Willis & Tina Wood of 50% Concentrated Apple Cider and 50% Maple Syrup. They also make one that is pure concentrated cider and another that is YUM Cinnamon Cider Syrup (thinking of all the possibilities can push you over the edge).

I love love love sweet-tart flavors like Pomegranate Molasses, Tamarind etc so I knew I was going to be a fan. And in fact when I stirred the Cider Syrup into the apples I had to keep myself from eating the bowl before they went into the pie. Because of the forward flavors I opted for an all-butter double crust to keep things simple and so I could really see how the syrup worked in a straightforward apple pie. I used brown sugar for depth but left out my usual cinnamon again, to see how the syrup interacted with the apples. I really wish the pie would cool down already!

Keep reading for the recipe…

7 medium apples, peeled and sliced apples (I used Gravensteins because I was lucky enough to have them)

¼ cup Brown Sugar

Pinch of salt

¼ cup Cider Syrup

3 tablespoons cornstarch

Preheat oven to 425º. In medium bowl, mix together apples, brown sugar and salt. Pour Cider Syrup over apples and stir to mix. Add cornstarch and stir until it melts into the juices of the apple slices.

Pour seasoned apples into dough lined pie pan. I use a 9” pyrex pan. Lay another layer of dough atop the apples. Trim and crimp the edge of the dough. Make symmetrical slits in the top crust so steam can escape.

Place pie in preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Check pie to see if top is browning quickly. If it is, loosely lay aluminum foil over the pie to protect the crust. Turn heat down to 375º and continue baking an additional 20-30 minutes or until apples are tender when pierced with a paring knife and the juices have thickened.