Happy Fall!!!
I am loving this Indian Summer, perfect for apple picking and enjoying all of the Fall fun! However, it's October, definitely Fall. With the slightly colder weather yesterday I was craving comfort... Baked goods... Something sweet, warm and full of flavor.
Anyone who knows my family knows we are obsessed with apples, my husband's family (yes, husband, still slightly getting used to using that word!) grew up right around the corner from Brooksby Farms in Peabody and we adore EVERYTHING apple. We took a little family Sunday-Funday trip, which resulted in us coming home with a 1/2 bushel of apples... Which ends up being a LOT of apples, so I got to baking.
Anyone who knows my family knows we are obsessed with apples, my husband's family (yes, husband, still slightly getting used to using that word!) grew up right around the corner from Brooksby Farms in Peabody and we adore EVERYTHING apple. We took a little family Sunday-Funday trip, which resulted in us coming home with a 1/2 bushel of apples... Which ends up being a LOT of apples, so I got to baking.
After making four apple pies and distributing them to the neighbors, I decided it was time to make one for myself. And so started the challenge of making a delicious, paleo pie. Recipe as follows:
Apple pie
For the Crust (one 9 inch, if you want a top crust, make two)
Ingredients
2 cups blanched almond flour or coconut flour (I used 2 scant cups and 1-2 TBS coconut flour)
1 tsp salt
dash cinnamon
2 1/2 TBS coconut oil
1 egg
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
*Note: I make all of my own almond flour, however the method is the same. In a food processor pulse the almonds. If you are making flour from whole blanched almonds this process will take a little bit longer. Make sure that your food processor bowl is completely dry, pulse until the nuts are finely ground. You want to make sure that you pulse so that you achieve a homogenous flour, if you go for too long, the bowl heats up and turns the flour into butter; any extra moisture will turn it to butter quicker as well.
With your flour in the bottom of the food processor bowl, add in the salt and cinnamon. Pulse once until combined. Add in the coconut oil, pulse to incorporate. You will notice the dough starting to come together, just like regular glutenous crust dough. Then add in the egg, continue to pulse until it's thoroughly mixed. This dough is slightly sticky, you may need to add a touch more flour depending.
This dough is great, you can either roll it out in parchment or press into pie pan. I chose to press it into place, spreading it out and then crimped the edges. Like so:
Ingredients
2 cups blanched almond flour or coconut flour (I used 2 scant cups and 1-2 TBS coconut flour)
1 tsp salt
dash cinnamon
2 1/2 TBS coconut oil
1 egg
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
*Note: I make all of my own almond flour, however the method is the same. In a food processor pulse the almonds. If you are making flour from whole blanched almonds this process will take a little bit longer. Make sure that your food processor bowl is completely dry, pulse until the nuts are finely ground. You want to make sure that you pulse so that you achieve a homogenous flour, if you go for too long, the bowl heats up and turns the flour into butter; any extra moisture will turn it to butter quicker as well.
With your flour in the bottom of the food processor bowl, add in the salt and cinnamon. Pulse once until combined. Add in the coconut oil, pulse to incorporate. You will notice the dough starting to come together, just like regular glutenous crust dough. Then add in the egg, continue to pulse until it's thoroughly mixed. This dough is slightly sticky, you may need to add a touch more flour depending.
This dough is great, you can either roll it out in parchment or press into pie pan. I chose to press it into place, spreading it out and then crimped the edges. Like so:
Onto the Filling (*Note: I like a full flavored pie, you may want to hold back on the spice)
Ingredients
6 medium apples, cored, thinly sliced and chunked
1 heaping TBS cinnamon
1 scant tsp cloves
1 scant tsp allspice
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cardamon
1/4-1/3 cup honey, depending upon how sweet you like it :)
1 1/2 TBS coconut or almond flour
zest of 1 lemon
Directions
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and pour onto the shaped crust. I always test an apple slice or two! You can adjust the flavor accordingly, it will be a lot stronger in taste, cooking mellows out the flavors.
Press the apples down so instead of mounding they are level with the crust.
Ingredients
6 medium apples, cored, thinly sliced and chunked
1 heaping TBS cinnamon
1 scant tsp cloves
1 scant tsp allspice
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cardamon
1/4-1/3 cup honey, depending upon how sweet you like it :)
1 1/2 TBS coconut or almond flour
zest of 1 lemon
Directions
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and pour onto the shaped crust. I always test an apple slice or two! You can adjust the flavor accordingly, it will be a lot stronger in taste, cooking mellows out the flavors.
Press the apples down so instead of mounding they are level with the crust.
Bake at 350. Check the crust after 25-30 minutes, and cover with aluminum foil to ensure the nut crust doesn't get too brown. Place back in the oven and cook for another 20-30 minutes, until the apple mixture is bubbling and apples are fork tender.
Let cook and enjoy!
Let cook and enjoy!