FOOD PROCESSOR APPLE PIE

My new Cuisinart came with a recipe booklet. The apple pie recipe in the booklet was for a 2-crust pie, but I used a crumb topping instead. If you have a food processor, this recipe is easy and delicious. I liked it almost as much as my favorite pie recipe (see previous post, "Perfect Apple Pie"). The apples, of course, did not have the intensity and depth of flavor that comes from cooking them twice, but this pie made up fast and everyone, including me, liked it. I will make it again when I don't have the time to cook the apples, let them cool and then make the pie like I do for my favorite. If you don't have a food processor you can still make this pie, it will just take you longer.

Food Processor Apple Pie

INGREDIENTS: Pastry for 9.5" pie
Crumb Topping: 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup quick oats
pinch sea salt
1/4 cup sugar (I used 2 Tbsp. sugar, 1 tsp. Stevia+)
1 tsp. molasses
5 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter (I used 2 Tbsp. butter + 3 Tbsp.
Smart Balance
Filling: 1 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup sugar + 1 Tbsp. Stevia+)
4 Tbsp. flour
1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon (I omitted nutmeg)
4 Tbsp. butter (I used 2 Tbsp. butter +2 Tbsp. Smart Balance)
5 large apples (I used 3 Rome + 2 Granny Smith) (about 6-1/2 - 7 cups sliced)
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice (my addition)

DIRECTIONS: In workbowl of food processor, combine crumb topping ingredients and pulse till butter is size of peas. It's ok if there are a few larger pieces, just not too large and not too many. Pour this out into a bowl or container and set aside in fridge. (Note: You're going to use the workbowl 3 separate times for this pie -- for the crumb topping, for the filling and to slice the apples -- and you don't have to clean it out in between.)

Adjust oven shelf to lowest setting. Place pizza stone or some bricks on bottom shelf of oven. Preheat oven to 375F. Roll out pie crust and fit into 9.5" deep dish pie pan. Refrigerate. Use the metal blade of the food processor to process the sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter. Pour this into a large mixing bowl. Insert the standard slicing disc. Peel, core and quarter the apples. Slice the apples and place them in the large bowl with the flour/sugar mixture. Sprinkle the lemon juice over the apples and toss them to evenly distribute the lemon juice and the flour/sugar mixture over them. Place the apples in the pie crust, mounding them in the center. Spoon the crumb topping over, patting down gently over the apples. Pie will be fairly high, but will condense after it bakes as it cools. Place the pie pan on a piece of tinfoil and then onto the pizza stone. (The tinfoil will catch drips, if any. I didn't have any, but it probably depends on the juiciness of the apples.) Bake for 1 hour, or until pie begins to bubble. Test the pie for doneness by inserting a fork or knife in the center. If it enters easily, apples are done. If there is any resistance, bake pie until there is no resistance. Serves 8-12, depending on the size of slice. This is a high thick pie and you can cut the slices thinner because there's a lot of apples inside. What I like about this recipe is that you don't need to cover the pie to keep the top or the crust from burning. 375F is a perfect pie baking temperature to properly cook the apples and the crust.

If you want to take this pie over the top, serve it with purchased caramel sundae sauce drizzled over each slice and a nice scoop of sweetened or plain creme fraiche. (I made an easy creme fraiche by combining 3/4 cup heavy cream with 2 Tbsp. lite sour cream. I let it sit overnight in fridge, then whipped it with a little Stevia+ and some vanilla paste.)