Old Fashioned Apple Pie … With Blueberries

… Thinking of You, Daddy!

Old fashioned apple pie was one of my dad’s absolute favorite desserts. He coveted a piece of warm apple pie topped with a slice of American cheese probably more than almost any other food, except Weber’s White Bread. Yeah, my dad grew up with the generation of “enriched” soft white bread eaters. I started baking apple pie when I got married. My folks moved far away shortly thereafter, so I didn’t get to make many pies for him.

I now make my old fashioned apple pie recipe gluten-free and dairy-free, but I don’t think my dad would be able to differentiate between my original recipe and my current one. He’d strongly suggest I leave out the blueberries in his pie, but I think they add a delicious extra little flavor. They also help create a smooth, creamy texture to the filling that I particularly love. (They can be eliminated thought without altering the recipe if you’re not a fan.) If you have an apple pie lover in your family, I encourage you to make this pie, and share a slice in honor of my dad … I know he’d love it!

Prep time: about 30 minutes

Bake time: about 45 minutes

Oven temp: 425ºF for 15 minutes, then 375 for 30 minutes

Rest time: at least one hour to let the filling set

Ingredients for filling:

1/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons butter or margarine – I use Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread – red tub (dfgf)

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced

3 other pie or baking apples, peeled and thinly sliced – I used Cortland apples

1 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon arrowroot powder or cornstarch

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2/3 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated if possible

2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed

1/8 teaspoon salt

Ingredients for crust:

This recipe will make 1 9” gluten-free pie crust. Make two, but prepare them individually. Don’t double the recipe.

1 cup (180g) gluten free all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out crust – I use Authentic Foods Bette’s Gourmet Four Flour Blend

1/4 teaspoon guar gum

1/3 cup (5 1/3 Tablespoons) margarine, frozen – I use Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread – red tub

2 1/2 Tablespoons ice water

1 egg yolk, optional

1 tablespoon milk or dairy-free milk alternative, optional

1 teaspoon sugar for dusting top crust, optional

Directions:

Over low heat, in a large skillet, melt 1/3 cup margarine. Add apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and blueberries. Simmer about 10 minutes.

Melt 2 teaspoons margarine and add arrowroot powder. Whisk together. Stir mixture into apple-blueberry filling. Simmer 5 more minutes until thickened. You should be able to coat the back of a spoon with the filling, then run a finger through it and leave a void.

Remove from heat and let stand while preparing crust.

In a food processor, combine flour, guar gum, margarine, and ice water. Pulse quickly to mix until dough ball forms. Don’t over process. Remove dough to well floured wax paper surface. Cover with another sheet of wax paper. Roll dough out gently to fit a 9” pie plate. Remove top sheet of wax paper and quickly transfer crust dough to pie plate by inverting crust on wax paper over pie plate. Crust will remove easily, but will be fragile. Fix crust, patching any cracks or holes. Place pie plate in refrigerator to chill crust while preparing top crust. Repeat process for top crust then leave on wax sheet while filling pie crust with filling. Dot all along the edge of the bottom crust with ice water. Invert top crust on wax paper over pie and lay flat. Trim edges with a knife, then crimp along edge to seal top crust to bottom crust. Chill pie again if making decorations*.

Cut tiny slits into center and in three to four places on top crust as vent holes.

Combine egg and milk, whisk briefly. With a pastry brush, paint a thin coating over the top crust making sure not to get too wet. Dust with sugar, if desired.

Bake at 425ºF for 15 minutes, then reduce oven heat to 375ºF and bake until crust is golden brown, about 30 minutes. If your pie filling begins to bubble over (this happens when the pie is filled a bit too full – as seen in my photo, but still yummy), place a sheet of foil on the oven rack one level below your pie. This will keep the drippings from falling to the bottom of the oven and burning, but will still allow air to flow evenly around the pie plate. When pie crust is nicely browned and fully cooked, transfer pie (still in pie plate) to cooling rack. Let rest at least one hour before serving. The longer is rests, the better the filling will set.

*To make decorations:

With scrap pieces from two crusts, between floured wax paper, gently roll out crust. Remove top wax sheet. Using well-floured cookie cutters, cut crust decorations. With a very thin metal spatula, floured, transfer cutouts to plate. When all decorations are made, chill for 5 minutes.

Using ice water as “glue”, dampen the back side of each decoration, then place on top crust in desired pattern.

Safe food is a journey … Thrive!™