15.May.2009 Apple Pie in Pecan Crust

It’s my party, and I’ll have apple pie for breakfast, apple pie as a snack, and apple pie for dinner if I want to. And you should too.
The sage, a subtle addition here, isn’t absolutely necessary, but I find it gives a little extra something-something that both the husband and myself actually enjoyed.
Good news: the crust can either be rolled out or pressed down with great success.
Now that apricots are appearing on the market, I’m already itching to make a version of this with them instead.

Apple Pie in Pecan Crust

For the crust:
Non-stick cooking spray
3/4 cup (74 g) pecan halves
2 cups (240 g) light spelt flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons (24 g) Sucanat
Pinch fine sea salt
1/2 cup (120 ml) plain soy or other nondairy milk, a little at a time

For the filling:
4 to 6 Granny Smith apples (or favorite baking apple that will hold its shape well), peeled or unpeeled, cored, quartered, sliced thinly in width
1/2 cup (96 g) Sucanat
2 tablespoons (16 g) cornstarch
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground dried sage, optional
Pinch fine sea salt

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C, or gas mark 5). Lightly grease a 9-inch (23-cm) pie plate.

To make crust: In food processor, blend pecan halves until they release their oil and begin to turn into a butter-like paste.
Add flour, cinnamon, Sucanat, and salt. Pulse a couple of times to combine.
Add milk, a little at a time, until dough forms.
Press down (as thinly as possible) into prepared pie plate, on the bottom and sides, making sure to leave no cracks or holes so that the filling doesn’t get to escape. You can also roll it out if you prefer. Crimp the edges for a slightly fancier look.
Carefully prick holes with a fork, on most of the surface.

To make filling: In a large bowl, combine all ingredients until thoroughly combined and coated. Don’t worry if the apples are piling up rather high, since they will cook down a bit as the pie bakes.

Arrange apples into crust.
Loosely cover with a piece of foil, bake for 30 minutes.
Remove foil, bake for another 30 minutes, or until the apples are tender.
Place on a wire rack to cool. As soon as it is cool enough to handle, carefully remove pie from plate, and let cool on rack.

Yield: 6 servings