If you feel like making an apple pie (and you should), this spiced ginger apple pie is going to be the talk of the town for weeks.
Why we ❤️ it
My daughter's school is quite culturally diverse, but it follows, for the most part, the American curriculum and calendar. So a day before Thanksgiving I find myself with the assignment of bringing an apple pie for her class.
Yep, an apple pie. I couldn't help it, I had to add just a bit of Dominican flavor. I got rave reviews from the American teacher and her also-American friends, I posted the picture in my Instagram and Facebook feed and I get several requests for a recipe. So here we are, baking apple pies.
About this recipe
Clearly this is not the traditional American apple pie, and this is not the typical site to come for such a recipe.
If you know your way around a classic apple pie you'll notice a few changes to the traditional recipe, mainly the pre-cooked apples, and not having to pre-bake the crust. There is a reason for precooking the apples: Not all apple varieties are good for this dish, but I don't always have a choice, I have to get what I find in our local supermarket. Pre-cooking the apples solves this problem.
This recipe borrows a couple of touches from Elise Bauer's Old Fashioned Apple Pie (mainly the almond crust).
If you're looking for a recipe to surprise friends and family, and with a touch of the tropics thrown in for good measure, you've found it in this amazing apple ginger pie.
Recipe
Ginger-Spiced Apple Pie Recipe
Ingredients
For the crust
- ½ cup almonds (blanched chopped), [75g]
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, [120 g]
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar, [12 g]
- ¾ sticks of salted butter, [85 g], chilled and diced
- ½ cup ice-cold water, [237 ml]
Apple filling
- 8 apple, (see notes)
- ¼ sticks of salted butter, [57g], melted
- ½ teaspoon clove powder
- 2 tablespoons ginger powder
- ¾ cup brown sugar, [150g]
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour, [30 g]
For the wash
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon milk (whole or skim)
- ¼ teaspoon sugar (white, granulated)
- 1 tablespoon butter (salted), melted
To assemble
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, for dusting work surface [120 g]
Instructions
To make the crust.
Mix ingredients: Ground the almond in the food processor until the pieces have half the size of a grain of rice. Add flour, sugar, and butter. Pulse until it resembles peas. Add the cold water, slowly, until the dough piles up in one big chunk.
Let it rest: Remove from the bowl. Form a ball, wrap in plastic film and leave it to rest in the fridge till you need it again.
To make the apple filling
Mix ingredients: Core, peel, and cut the apples into either slices or cubes (your preference).Mix with butter, cloves, ginger, sugar, and cinnamon.
Cook: Place in a pot, cover, and cook over very low heat until the apples are cooked through, but firm. The time will depend on the variety of apple you use (see notes). Remove apples from the heat and cool to room temperature. Once cooled, mix in the flour. Chill.
To make the egg wash
Mix ingredients: Mix yolk, milk, sugar, and butter. Whisk to combine.
To assemble
Roll out dough: Roll into a circle, dusting the work surface with flour to prevent it from sticking.Wrap the dough circle on the rolling pin to lift off the surface.
Assemble: Place the dough on a pie pan, press lightly to shape it. Brush the crust with the egg wash. Chill in the freezer while the oven is preheating.
Bake: Pre-heat oven to 350 ºF [200 ºC]. Scoop the apple filling into the pie crust. Bake the pie for 15 - 20 minutes, or until the crust turns golden brown.
Serving: Remove from the oven and let it cool down until it feels warm to the touch. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
Tips and Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutritional information.
