Blushing Apple Pie

This summer was a good one for apples. Here our dwarf Bonnie apple is loaded with these large clunky fruits! I have been searching for recipes that are a bit more interesting than plain ordinary apple pie. The beets have also grown well this summer, so here is a Blushing Apple Pie that features both of these ingredients together. I've tasted several interesting savory recipes combining beets and apples, but this one hits the sweet tooth.

Blushing Apple Pie

½ orange

6-7 baking apples ( about 2 ½ pounds fresh

¼ cup plus 2 TBS white sugar

½ cup packed dark brown sugar

½ medium beet, oven roasted until tender and chipped into ½ inch dice

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon cardamom

½ teaspoon salt

3 TBS all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon orange zest

1 TBS cider vinegar

2 dashes Angostura bitters

Egg wash (1 large egg whisked with 1 teaspoon water and pinch of salt)

Coarse sugar for finishing

 

Have ready and refrigerated a 9-inch pastry lined pie pan and pastry to finish a top layer.

 

Zest the orange and set aside. Juice the orange into large bowl.  Peel and slice apples into thin slices and dredge in the orange juice.  Sprinkle lightly with 2 TBS of the granulated sugar. Set aside to soften and release juices, 20-30 minutes.

 

In the bowl of a food processor, fitted with the blade attachment,. Combine the remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, chopped beet, ginger, cardamom., salt flour vanilla and bitters.  Process until the beet is fully incorporated into the sugar.

 

Drain excess liquated from the apples, add the beet-sugar mixture and toss the apples to coat them thoroughly.  Tightly layer the apples in the prepared pie shell so there are minimal gaps., mounding the apples higher in the center.  Add the pastry topcoat with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar.

 

Chill the pie in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to set the pastry. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Bake 20 -25 minutes until pastry begins to brown.  Reduce heat to375 degrees F and continue to bake for 40-50 minutes longer.