APPLE PIE

Yes, it's time for the holidays! I'm very excited with Christmas just around the corner. It is by far my favorite time of the year! I was at the grocery store today and there was Christmas music playing - so happy! 

A little about this recipe: It's super easy and the clean up is a breeze. There are two differences I would recommend you make and I will do the same next time I make this...

#1 The Macintosh apples were just beautiful today when I bought them, but they aren't great for pies because of how soft they are. I usually use half granny smith and half Washington apples. I will stick to that in the future. Macintosh apples cook and break down too easily.

#2 I only used two apples, but I am going to recommend using how ever many it takes to build up your pie. Due to the heaviness of the pie crust, if there is nothing holding it up underneath (and cooked apples tend to shift and cook down more once in the oven) the crust is prone to cracking and possibly "falling".

That being said, this recipe can be multiplied however many times you need to.

IMPORTANT: "Pies" generally contain less liquid than "cobblers". It is common for the average pie (or cobbler) to contain flour or cornstarch to thicken the liquids of the filling to keep it from being soupy, but since that is not Paleo - make sure you really drain your apples well before placing them in your crock or pie plate. (For those of you who are not Paleo but may have gluten or corn allergies: a small amount of tapioca starch can be used to thicken similarly to flour or cornstarch.)

APPLE PIE FILLING:
2 Apples cored and sliced
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp butter
2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp cinnamon

THE CRUST:
1/2 cup almond meal
1/4 cup pecans finely chopped (or pecan meal)
1 Tbsp butter - softened but not melted
2 tsp honey
1 tsp cinnamon

1.) Place all of your apple pie filling ingredients in a skillet and cook until slightly softened and all flavors are combined. 

2.) Drain off the excess liquid very well and place your apple pie filling in whichever baking dish you wish to use. (I used a 6" crock from World Market.)

3.) Combine all of your crust ingredients in a separate bowl with a fork or spatula. The mixture will clump together. 

4.) Turn out your crust mixture onto waxed paper and press into the desired shape for the topping of your pie. (If you are using a traditional 10" pie plate you may need to make 3-4 times the crust recipe.)

5.) Carefully turn the crust over the top of your pie and remove the waxed paper.

6.) Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until your crust is golden brown.

Serves: 3-4

(As you can see - I could have used another apple to fill the crock up a bit more to prevent the crust from falling.)