DIY: Designs: My! My! Apple Pie!

So, after the tsunami warning and being up for a good portion of the night, my clinical rotation in the hospital was cancelled for today (YES!), which means... I got to finish the apple pie I mentioned in the last blog!.

This recipe from the Raw Epicurean is a great starting place.. However, being a beginner to the raw thing, I found a few hints along the way to help make this delicious recipe come together. Perhaps these hints are a given for the more experienced un-cooker, but maybe my trial and almost-error will help someone :)

1. For starters, the cardamom seeds in the crust are SO delicious. I have a stash of pods that I use for homemade chai teas. However, next time, I will grind up the seeds instead of crushing. Maybe I didn't crush them enough, but my crushed seeds seemed to add unevenly dispersed, overpowering bites for the unsuspecting apple pie-indulger. But two thumbs up for this spice...nicely grounded up!

2. To reduce the stickyness and the sweetness of the finished pie, I suggest using date paste and agave nectar. OR increasing the almonds. It was a bit too sweet for me and too sticky to efficiently work with.

3. The apples, even if drained, retain a lot of moisture and,when left on the crust for even a few minutes, leaked its juices everywhere. Although tasty, this doesn't help with the texture or presentation. I currently have my apples on the deck, getting a tan... and hopefully drying just a bit (I don't own a dehydrator....yet!).

So, that leaves us with the following recipe (Inspired by the Raw Epicurean):

Apple Pie

I used FUJI apples here, but any type of apple available, sweet, sour, or a combination, will work.

Crust:

2 cups almonds
8 cardamom pods, seeds removed from pod [discard pod shells], crush seeds
1/8 cup agave AND 1/8 cup date paste (soak dates for about 5min and blend them up!)
2 tablespoons lemon zest, 1 tablespoon reserved for garnish
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 inches Vanilla bean, sliced open. Scrape the inside and discard the outside
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Filling:
4 small apples, peeled, cored, chopped [about 4 cups]
2 tablespoon agave
2 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamonTopping:
Reserved lemon zest
4 tablespoons agave
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Crust:
Grind up cardamom seeds (and cinnamon if using whole sticks). Place almonds and cardamom seeds into a food processor and processor until ground to a fine grainy consistency. Add the agave, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Process to combine ingredients into a ball. Remove the crust, scraping the side and bottom of the processor bowl to remove any remaining crust. Place the crust on a clean cool flat working surface or cutting board. Use a rolling pin to roll out the crust thin, about ¼ inch thick. Shape as desired. Carefully lift the crust from working surface with a spatula. Reserve in a covered container.

Apples

Mix the chopped apples, agave, lemon juice, and cinnamon together in a bowl. Set aside in covered container.

Cinnamon Sauce

Stir the agave and cinnamon until well combined.

To Assemble And Serve
Strain the apples before assembling. I left mine in the sun for about 15 mins. This seemed to help.

Place crust on individual plates, top with apples, and drizzle the cinnamon sauce over the apples. Garnish each pie with reserved lemon zest. For those in Hawaii, I used the outside of a spam musubi maker to assemble my individual apple pies!