My mother found this recipe a few years back and makes it every holiday for my family. My Great Aunt Vera—the best cook of the family—requests a personal pie to take home and enjoy.
This pie gives a unique twist to the classic apple pie and is loved by vegans and non-vegans alike. A must try!
Ingredients
1/2 lemon
3 pounds baking apples, such as Golden Delicious, Cortland, or Mutsu (about 6 apples)
1 1/2 pounds baking pears, such as Bosc or firm Bartletts (about 3 pears)
2/3 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling on the pie
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
Generous pinch nutmeg
1/4 cup vegan butter (1/2 stick)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pre-made vegan pie crust (I find mine in the frozen section of Whole Foods)
Review instructions for pre-made frozen pie crust. If thawing is necessary, thaw overnight before preparing the pie. You’ll want to purchase a pie crust with enough dough to line the bottom of a pie dish as well as the top. Click here for an example.
Finely grate the lemon zest and set aside. Peel, core and then slice apples and pears into 1/2-inch slices. Squeeze the lemon juice over the fruit, then toss fruit with the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt and nutmeg.
Melt the vegan butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fruit and cook, stirring until the sugar dissolves and juices simmer, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, uncovered, until the fruit softens and the juices evaporate some, about 10 minutes. Evenly mix the flour into the fruit; then cook about a minute more to thicken the juices slightly. Stir in the vanilla and lemon zest; and remove from the heat. (The filling should resemble a tight compote.) Cool completely.
If necessary, add bottom layer of thawed dough to a pie dish by following package instructions. pour apple pan filling into the dough-lined pie dish then cover with top crust.
Cut 6 to 8 small steam vents into the top of the dough. Place pie on a baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F. Bake until the crust (both top and bottom) is golden brown, about 50 minutes more. If the edges begin to brown too quickly, cut a pie shield out of a piece of aluminum foil and cover the edges. Cool on a rack.
Serve pie warm or at room temperature with vegan whipped or vegan ice cream. Keep pie, covered, at room temperature for a day, or refrigerate for up to four.