$25,000 Apple Pie

⏱ 85 mins 🍽 8 serving(s) 🏷 Pie

This is the celebrated recipe that secured a $25,000 scholarship to the Culinary Institute of America. It features a distinctive filling of braeburn apples combined with chopped dates and walnuts, all spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. The mixture is encased in a pie crust, brushed with half-and-half, and baked until golden and bubbling. The result is a uniquely textured and flavoured dessert that serves eight people.

$25,000 Apple Pie

Ingredients

  • 6 large braeburn apples
  • 5 dates, pitted and chopped
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup flour, reserved
  • 1 lemon, juice of
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 pie crust (see my master recipe)
  • 1/4 cup half-and-half

Method

  1. Set your oven to heat to 450 Fahrenheit.
  2. Squeeze the juice from the lemon into a large mixing bowl and grate the zest from half of it, setting the zest aside for later.
  3. Place 1/4 cup of flour into a small bowl. Remove the pits from the dates, chop them into 1/4 inch pieces, and toss them in the flour to coat. Shake off any extra flour.
  4. Chop the walnuts and combine them with the prepared dates.
  5. Peel and core the apples. Cut each one into quarters, then slice them into 1/4 inch pieces, working from the stem end to the blossom end. As you slice, add the apple pieces to the bowl with the lemon juice and toss to prevent browning.
  6. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and the reserved lemon zest. Sprinkle half of this mixture over the apples and stir thoroughly, then add the remainder and mix again. Place the bowl in the refrigerator while you prepare the pie crust.
  7. Transfer the apple filling into your prepared pie crust and cover it with the second crust. Cut several slits in the top to let steam escape. If you wish, you can cut decorative apple leaf shapes from the leftover pastry trimmings and attach them to the top with a little water. Brush the entire top crust with half-and-half and give it a very light sprinkling of sugar.
  8. Bake the pie at 450F for 15 minutes. Then, lower the oven temperature to 350F and continue baking for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling. Should the crust begin to darken too quickly, loosely cover it with aluminium foil, removing the foil for the final 8 to 10 minutes of baking.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sodium122100 mg

Recipe details

CategoryPie
AuthorDaveLen