Thanksgiving Pt. 2 & Cranberry Apple Pie

This, the second of our two Thanksgiving pies, is my new absolute favorite pie of all time. Hands down! Hitherto, I thought I didn't like apple pie very much (because I don't like most apples), but when I came across a recipe that called for green apples (the only apple I do like) I was eager to give it a try. And the addition of cranberries made it all but impossible for me to not make it. I had exactly two cups of Lee's lovely cranberries remaining in the freezer, waiting for the perfect excuse to be used. This. Is. Quintessential. New England. Served with homemade ice cream, whipped cream, or both, cranberry apple pie will happily make an annual return to the dining table come every holiday season. And maybe yours, too!


Cranberry Green Apple Pie
Recipe courtesy and adapted from Taste of Home

















Ingredients:

1 & 3/4 cups sugar (I cut this down from the original two cups)

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup orange juice

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon*

1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice*

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg*

1/4 teaspoon lemon juice

4 cups sliced peeled tart apples

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches)

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon each flour and sugar, mixed

In place of the spices called for, I used 1/2 teaspoon homemade apple pie spice blend and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon.


Apple Pie Spice Blend

1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground cloves

Add all ingredients to small bowl or zip shut bag and mix (or shake, in bag). Store remaining mix.

































Directions:

Add first 7 ingredients to large bowl and stir to combine. To same bowl, add in sliced apple and cranberries; gently toss to coat. *See below for pie crust directions.
Sprinkle bottom crust with flour-sugar mixture. Add apple mixture to bottom pie crust. Add 1 & 1/2 tablespoons of butter in small pieces over apples. Add top crust; fold hanging edges underneath and crimp to seal. When pie is assembled, cut vents in top of crust to allow air to escape while baking.

Refrigerate pie while preheating oven to 450 degrees. Add pie to preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, lower heat to 350 degrees and bake for 50-60 minutes or until top of pie is golden brown and filling is bubbling. Allow to cool and set before cutting.

Shortening-Butter Crust:

2 1/2 cup all-purpose unbleached flour, plus extra for rolling
2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup Plus 1 teaspoon chilled vegetable shortening
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
6 to 8 tablespoons ice water

Tools:

Rolling Pin
Wax Paper

To Sprinkle over bottom of crust before adding fruit:

Mix together 1 tablespoon each, flour and granulated sugar. This will help prevent pie filling juices from soaking through bottom of crust.




































To Make Crust:

In standard sized food processor, or large bowl, process, or mix with hand mixer, flour, salt and sugar until combined. Add in shortening and process or mix until mixture resembles coarse sand, approximately 10 seconds. Add pieces of butter over flour mixture and process in 1 second pulses, or mix, turning hand mixer on then off, until pieces of butter are no bigger than small peas. Add 6 tablespoons ice water to mixture and, using a rubber spatula or hand mixer on low, fold in, or mix until just combined. Pinch dough with fingertips to be sure it sticks together, If not, add an additional 2 tablespoons ice water. Do not process or mix more than 30 seconds.
Turn dough onto work surface and gather into ball. Divide dough in half and flatten each into a round disk-like shape. Cover each with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour before using.

After an hour, remove one round of dough from refrigerator. Measure out and lightly flour two equal pieces of wax paper. Place dough, in center, between two pieces of wax paper, begin to flatten round of dough with rolling pin. Give wax paper square a quarter turn after each roll. Roll dough two inches larger than inverted pie plate. (Place pie plate, upside down, over dough to make sure it's big enough.) Carefully remove only top layer of wax paper. Turn remaining wax paper holding dough, so that the dough is facing down, into pie pan. Make sure dough is even in pan. Carefully remove second piece of wax paper, which should be bottom side up. Brush off excess flour. Roll hanging dough under itself to crimp or cut off excess. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Reserve both pieces of wax paper and repeat process of rolling with second dough round, only this time, leave rolled out dough in wax paper and refrigerate until needed.