Deep-Dish Apple Pie

 

4 Tricks to Make It Healthier and Still Delicious

EatingWell

I used to think the key to a good apple pie was a butter- or shortening-laden flaky crust and lots of sugar to balance out the tartness of the apples. That was until I tried EatingWell Test Kitchen Manager Stacy Fraser's version of deep-dish apple pie. Our resident baking maven turned my assumptions inside out. You would never know the pie she developed -- minus tons of butter or shortening and loads of sugar -- is much healthier than traditional versions. Here are a few tricks she uses to get a healthier pie without sacrificing flavor:

1. Keep the fat in the crust to a minimum. Butter isn't totally off limits; just use less of it. She uses reduced-fat sour cream to replace some of the butter. It keeps the dough moist and tender, without adding tons of saturated fat. And she follows the basic rules of great pastry: always use chilled butter and ice-cold water, use a light hand when working with the dough, and let the dough chill before rolling it out.

2. Add some fiber by using a mixture of whole-wheat flour and all-purpose flour in the crust. There's a fine balance between making your piecrust healthy and making your piecrust taste like cardboard. The results can be less than appetizing if you use all whole-wheat flour, but Stacy uses a mix of traditional all-purpose and whole-wheat pastry flour. The pastry flour adds fiber, but keeps the texture tender, and by blending it with all-purpose you get a less wheaty taste.

3. Choose apples for flavor and texture. And use plenty of them! Apple pie should taste good, but not feel like mush in your mouth. Stacy uses a mix of McIntosh and Granny Smith in her pie. The McIntosh add a nice tangy flavor while the Granny Smith also taste good, but break down less when they cook, giving the filling a more toothsome texture. And since this is apple pie, use plenty of fruit. Stacy made her version deep-dish so there's extra room for the filling (and more apples means an added bump of soluble fiber).

4. Keep your sugar in check. Apple pie is about apples. Why drown them in sugar? Clever Stacy cooks down a portion of the apples for the filling before she adds them to the crust. Why? Well, so the crust doesn't collapse and crack as much while it's baking (the filling won't shrink as much if some of it is already precooked) and it concentrates the natural flavors and sugar of the apples, so you don't have to add as much sugar to your filling.

Deep-Dish Apple Pie

Serves 10.

Prep Time: 1 1/4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours (including cooling time)

Crust:

1 1/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour (see ingredient note)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

3 tablespoons canola oil

4 tablespoons ice water

Filling:

6 cups thinly sliced peeled McIntosh apples (about 2 pounds)

6 cups thinly sliced peeled Granny Smith apples (about 2 pounds)

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Pinch of ground allspice

Pinch of salt

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 large egg white, lightly beaten, for brushing

1. To prepare crust: Whisk whole-wheat flour, 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Cut butter into small pieces and, with your fingers, quickly rub them into the dry ingredients until the pieces are smaller but still visible. Add sour cream and oil; toss with a fork to combine with the dry ingredients. Sprinkle water over the mixture. Toss with a fork until evenly moist. Knead the dough with your hands in the bowl a few times -- the mixture will still be a little crumbly. Turn out onto a clean surface and knead a few more times, until the dough just holds together. Divide the dough in half and shape into 5-inch-wide disks. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

2. Meanwhile, make filling: Combine apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and pinch of salt in a large bowl. Reserving 4 cups, transfer the rest of the apple mixture to a Dutch oven. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the apples are tender and beginning to break down, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the reserved apples and 2 tablespoons flour; let cool for about 30 minutes.

3. To assemble & bake pie: Position a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 425 F.

4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator; let stand for 5 minutes to warm slightly. Roll one portion between sheets of parchment or wax paper into a 13-inch circle. Peel off the top sheet and invert the dough into a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie pan. Peel off the remaining paper. Scrape the filling into the crust. Roll the remaining portion of dough between sheets of parchment or wax paper into another 13-inch circle. Peel off the top sheet of paper and invert the dough onto the fruit. Peel off the remaining paper. Trim the crust so it overhangs evenly. Tuck the top crust under the bottom crust, sealing the two together and making a plump edge. Flute the edge with your fingers. Combine 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Brush the crust with egg white and sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar. Cut 6 steam vents in the top crust.

5. Bake the pie on the bottom rack for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 F and continue baking until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, 25 to 35 minutes more. Let cool on a wire rack for about 1 1/2 hours before serving.

To Make Ahead: Prepare the crust (Step 1), wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 6 months.

Ingredient Note: Whole-wheat pastry flour, lower in protein than regular whole-wheat flour, has less gluten-forming potential, making it a better choice for tender baked goods. You can find it in the natural foods section of large super markets and at natural foods stores. Store in the freezer.

Recipe Nutrition:

Per serving: 344 calories; 10 g fat (4 g sat, 3 g mono); 14 mg cholesterol; 62 g carbohydrate; 4 g protein; 5 g fiber; 143 mg sodium; 212 mg potassium

4 Carbohydrate Servings

Exchanges: 2 starch, 2 fruit, 2 fat

 

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Deep-Dish Apple Pie

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