World Pie Day : The Classic Apple Pie

The World Pie Day is around the corner on the 14^th of March, a day marked to celebrate the mathematical constant Pi (π) and also to mention, eat a lot and lot of pie. The best part of observance of this day is that this day has nothing to do with food, but despite this to mark the celebrations, pie are cooked, distributed and even thrown at each other.

Pie is such a suitable food for any occasion, that as far as we remember pie has been a part of our life since ages. Pie being the perfect dessert throughout the years, do you actually know about it as much as you eat it?

Well! Let’s discover some interesting facts about pie:

• A pie is a baked dish, usually made from a pastry dough that covers the filling inside, which can be sweet or savour.
• As per history and records the Greeks, invented the art of pie pastries. During the development of the Roman Empire, pie cooking spread throughout Europe.
• The first reference of Pie first appeared on the 12^th century in England and later by the 14^th century the pilgrims and early settlers carried the recipe to America, adapting to the local ingredients of the new place.
• Over the years Pie has evolved as ‘the most traditional dessert’ of America. A typical American pie contains sweet fillings of fruit, cream or custard.
• Pie is made in two ways:

1. One Crust: only the base is crusted and filled with filling.
2. Two Crust: the entire pie is covered with the crust, with the filling enclosed inside.

• Apple pie is the most popular flavor in America, followed by pumpkin, chocolate, lemon meringue and cherry.
• Pumpkin pie is the symbol of harvest time, and eaten during the time of fall and early harvest.
• The word ‘pieing’ is referred to throwing pie at one another to celebrate an occasion.

Here is a recipe of Apple Pie given by Dietitian Sheela Seharawat ( founder & chief mentor of Diet Clinic Health Care Pvt Ltd  http://www.dietclinic.co.in ).

The Classic Apple Pie: there’s nothing to complement a warm apple pie, especially when you don’t have to feel guilty about it. This version of the classic pie is clean and sweetened with maple syrup and apple to keep it healthy.

Ingredients:

For crust –

Whole wheat pastry flour (optional, white whole wheat flour)   :           1 1/2 cups

Oat flour                                                                                 :           1/2 cup

Turbinate or coconut sugar                                                     :           1 tablespoon

Salt                                                                                          :           1/2 teaspoon

Coconut oil, cold (optional, pure unsalted butter)                  :           2/3 cup

Ice cold water

For filling –

Golden Apples, thinly sliced                                                  :           3 nos.

Maple syrup                                                                            :           1/2 cup

White whole wheat flour                                                        :           2 tablespoons

Juice of one lemon

Cinnamon                                                                               :           1 teaspoon

Ground cardamom                                                                  :           1/2 teaspoon

Ground ginger                                                                         :           1/2 teaspoon

Ground nutmeg                                                                                   :           A pinch

Kosher or sea salt                                                                    :           A pinch

Pure vanilla extract (optional)                                                            :           2 teaspoons

Egg, lightly beaten                                                                  :           1

Cooking method:

• Make the crust by combining the wheat flour with the oat flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the coconut oil or butter and work it through the flour mixture with your hands until it is crumbly.
• Slowly add ice water, about 2 tablespoons at a time, until you have a stiff dough. Form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, about a half hour.
• Make the filling by combining the apples with the rest of the ingredients except for the egg. Stir until well combined, and allow to sit for 15 minutes or so. Stir again.
• Divide the pie crust in half and roll out one half, lightly flouring the dough and work surface. Carefully lay the dough in your pie pan. Add the apples slices to the crust, filling it well over the top, as the apples will bake down.
• Roll out the remaining crust, and lay it over the top of the pie. Or, dough can be cut into 1″ strips and crisscrossed over the pie filling, as seen in the photo above. Seal the edges by pinching and crimping together using either your fingers or a fork. Using a paring knife, slice several vents into the top crust. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the dough with the beaten egg.
• Place the pie on cookie sheet on the center oven rack, and bake in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes to one hour, checking the pie every so often to make sure the crust is not too brown. If the pie crust is browning too quickly, loosely lay foil over the top for the remainder of baking time.
• The pie is done when the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Allow to cool before slicing and serving.

*Note: Oat flour can easily be made by adding 3/4 cup rolled oats to a blender or food processor, pulsing until achieving a flour consistency.