Michael Smiths Whole Grain Crusted Apple Pie Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350F (180C).
• Put the dry pastry ingredients in one bowl and the dry crumble ingredients in the other, and whisk each well, evenly distributing the finer powders amongst the coarser ones.
• For the pastry, sprinkle the oil and water together over the dry ingredients. Work with your fingers until it's evenly mixed and moist. Form the dough into a ball. Lightly dust the ball with flour then toss it into a 9-inch (23-cm) pie plate. Press the dough evenly into the plate, taking care to avoid a thickening at the base of the sides, in the corner. Set aside.
• For the crumble, toss the vegetable oil into the remaining dry ingredients and work the mixture with your fingers until it's well distributed. Set aside.
• Mix and toss the apples, rosemary, whole-wheat flour and brown sugar together in a bowl. Transfer this mixture into the bottom crust and evenly top with the crumble mixture.
• Bake until it's golden brown on top and bubbling, about an hour or so. Serve it warm.
• Freestyle Twist: You can spice up this pie in any number of ways. Try cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice or cloves. Or be brave and add cardamom, cloves or mace.

Steps:

• To make pastry sift flour into a bowl. Cut cold butter into small pieces with a wire cheese cutter. Add butter to flour and work it into the flour with the back of a fork. Do not use your hands or anything that would add heat to the mixture. When the butter has been worked into the flour as much as possible, add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time and mix it in with a large spoon. It will probably only take 2 or 3 tablespoons of water to form the dough. As soon as the dough can be rolled into a ball in the bowl put it in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator.
• When the dough has been in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour, start to coat the bottom of the pie pan. I prefer to use the deepest pie pan I can find. Spread 1 tablespoon of butter over the bottom and sides of the pie pan. Depending on the size of the pan you might have to use more or less, but I like my coating to be generous. Then sprinkle 1/3 cup of brown sugar over the butter, with a light coating covering the bottom and sides. As with the butter you may have to use more or less depending on pan size. Then place the pecan nut halves, flat side up, on the bottom and sides of the pan. I start in the middle with 1 nut and then put the rest in circles around the center, closely spaced. Finish with a layer of nuts covering the side of the pan. The entire bottom and sides should be covered with nuts. Next take the dough out of the refrigerator, cut the ball in 1/2, wrap 1/2 in the plastic wrap and put it back in the refrigerator. Roll out the other 1/2 taking care not to handle the dough too much. Place the rolled out dough in the pie pan over the pecan nut coating, and trim the edges. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• To make the filling place 1/4 cup of butter and 1 cup of sugar in a small pan and cook over medium heat. When the butter and sugar have mixed into a liquid form add 1/2 vanilla bean. Stir the mixture constantly until it starts to turn brownish, or caramelized. Then remove it from the heat. Fill a large bowl with cold water and squeeze in 1/2 of the lemon. Peel the apples, cut into thin slices and put into the bowl with cold lemon water. I like to cut the slices rather thin, 1/8-inch or so. In a small bowl mix together 1 rounded teaspoon cinnamon, 1 pinch nutmeg, and 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Drain the apples in a colander and wipe all water out of the large bowl. Put the apples back in the bowl and sprinkle with the cinnamon, nutmeg and flour mixture. Mix until they are all covered.
• Take the pie pan out of the refrigerator and put 1/2 on the apples over the bottom pastry layer. Squeeze 1/2 of the lemon into the caramelized butter and sugar mixture, mix and pour half of the mixture through a sieve onto the apples. Layer the other 1/2 of the apples on top of that and pour on the rest of the caramelized mix. The pie should be just slightly over filled, and formed to a dome in the middle. Remove the second half of the pastry ball from the refrigerator and roll it out. Brush the bottom lip of the pie pastry with water to help form a seal. Place the rolled pastry on top of the pie and trim with kitchen scissors. Crimp the edges together with your fingers to make a good seal between the top and bottom pastry layers. Cut 3 small slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Place pie on a cookie sheet and wrap aluminum foil around the pie edges.
• Place the cookie sheet and pie in the center of the oven and allow to cook for 15 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and cook for an additional 25 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and check the crust to see if it is golden brown. You will probably have to continue to cook for another 5 to 10 minutes for the crust to turn golden brown. Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to set for 5 minutes. Then place a large plate over the top of the pie and flip it over. Gently lift the pie pan off of the pie. It should come off clean, but if any pecans stick to the pie pan remove them and put them back on the pie. Allow to cool at least 1 1/2 hours before cutting.

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large skillet set over medium-high heat and add apples to the pan. Stir to coat with butter and cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter is evenly distributed, about 1 minute.
• In a small bowl, whisk together sugars, spices and salt. Sprinkle over the apples and toss to combine.
• Lower heat to medium and cook until apples have softened completely but still hold their shape, about 17 to 25 minutes. (Some varieties cook more quickly than others.)
• Sprinkle cornstarch evenly over the apples and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the apple mixture comes to a simmer and thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat, and stir in lemon juice and zest. Allow apples to cool completely (spreading them onto a rimmed baking sheet speeds this up). Apples can be prepared up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerated.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll half of the pie dough into a 12-inch circle. Transfer dough to a 9- or 10-inch metal pie plate, trimming it to leave a 1/2-inch overhang. Place crust in the freezer for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
• When ready to bake, place a rimmed baking sheet on the middle oven rack and heat oven to 425 degrees.
• Roll out the remaining dough on a lightly floured surface to a 10- to 11-inch circle. Remove pie crust from freezer and add the cooled filling in an even layer. Cover apples with remaining dough. Press the edges together, trim the excess dough, and crimp the edges with your fingers or a press down with the tines of a fork. (Using a fork might be easier if the bottom crust is too cold to crimp.) Brush the top of the pie with cream, milk, or some beaten egg, then sprinkle lightly with sugar if you like. Using a sharp knife, cut some steam vents in the top of the crust.
• Place pie on the hot sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake for another 30 to 40 minutes, until the filling bubbles in the steam vents, and the crust is golden brown. Transfer pie to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool for at least 2 hours before serving. The pie can be baked up to 24 hours ahead of serving; do not refrigerate before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk oats, almond meal, brown sugar and salt together in a large bowl. Add butter and mix well until evenly combined. Add water and stir until mixture forms a cohesive dough. Knead once or twice to gather up any extra dry ingredients. Add a few more drops water if needed. Divide in half and form into 2 flattened discs, one slightly larger than the other. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm and ready to use (at least one hour). Toss the apples with the brown sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon. Using rice flour, dust your hands, the work surface, the roller and the dough, then roll the larger pastry disc out into a 12-inch round and fit it into an 8-inch pie plate. You will find the dough easy to work with but also easily torn, so patch as needed. You may find it easy to fold the disc into quarters than pick it up and unfold it over the pie plate. Add the apples. Roll out the other disc into a 12-inch round and place over top of apples. Trim and seal edges of pie and poke 3 or 4 vent holes into the top of the pie so that steam will be released and not blow out the crust. Place onto the bottom rack of the oven and bake for 1 hour or until the crust is golden and juices are bubbling.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.)
• In a large bowl, combine apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, white sugar and 1/2 cup baking mix. Stir together the milk and eggs and mix into apple mixture, Pour filling into pie plate and dot with butter.
• To make the Topping: In a large bowl, combine 1 cup baking mix, walnuts, brown sugar and margarine. Mix until crumbly and sprinkle over top of apples.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until apples are cooked and topping is golden brown.